The Ultimate Real Fiction
by Team Mike
Summary: Rantaro Amami, having completed his first Killing Game, was immediately thrust into another. Yet, for some odd reason, his memories of the first remained in tact, including all the time he spent with Tsumugi Shirogane, the Mastermind. Having the Survivor Monopad and knowing where her hideout is, Rantaro confronts Tsumugi about this, attempting to convince her of her true feelings.
1. Chapter 1

"It seems you didn't do a good job of erasing my memories, Tsumugi."

Rantaro Amami sensed the girl's presence behind him. However quiet she was when she crept up, moving her feet slowly as if stalking her prey, somehow Rantaro knew she was there at this moment. After all, he _did_ spend an entire Killing Game with her...

Tsumugi Shirogane froze instantly after Rantaro's words, holding a heavy shotput ball above her head, in preparation to bash it into the boy's. Her eyes were wide in surprise at first, but then her brows furrowed, unable to comprehend how he noticed her. From her perspective, it looked like Rantaro was simply inspecting a camera stashed away inside one of the library's voluminous bookcases, unprepared for a visitor.

But he knew. He knew she'd show up. If there was one thing about Tsumugi, it was that her show must go on. Now that he had the Survivor Monopad, he knew exactly where her hideout was. And since the time limit for the first killing was approaching, she'd have to prepare her penalty, provided no one killed anyone.

To be honest, Rantaro didn't expect her to kill everyone. That would defeat the purpose of the show. She'd need to frame someone at this point, especially because the murder attempt on his life failed mere seconds ago, a shotput ball falling from the top of the bookcase only a few inches from his skull.

Which meant that he was her target.

But then again, one thing did stand out to him. If she _really_ wanted her show to go off without a hitch, if she really wanted to kill him, then why could he remember everything? Why did he remember the last Killing Game, and all the time he spent with her?

Flashbacks of their final trial entered Rantaro's mind. He remembered their argument when she revealed herself to be the Mastermind. Someone so close to him, simply turning away in the blink of an eye? He couldn't believe it. It was so painful, after everything they've been through together... As they got further through the trial, Rantaro simply couldn't take it anymore. He was the first to volunteer to sacrifice himself to save the others. It was the only way to escape that reality... He didn't realize he'd be forced to participate in another one of these games...

But Tsumugi left all of his memories of these events in tact. He continued to wonder why... It would have been so much easier to simply have him forget everything, to have him participate in this Killing Game at the same level as everyone else... But maybe Tsumugi wanted him to remember... Maybe she couldn't bear to lose the Rantaro she befriended in the last Killing Game, even if it would jeopardize her show... And maybe she's reluctantly standing there behind him, still debating whether or not killing him would be worth it...

Rantaro turned around slowly and gave her a sly smile, yet Tsumugi's devious expression was unwavering.

"I knew you'd show up this entire time. I simply needed to wait for you."

The boy turned, looking down at the failed murder weapon sitting next to him. He chuckled a bit, giving the girl a lighthearted shrug, almost unfazed that had he been a step to the right, he'd be dead by now.

"But, heh, this camera got in my way... Someone tried to kill me with it... And I assume they're headed down here this very minute... You probably know all this, don't you?"

Whoever built that contraption was smart, Rantaro thought. He's seen his share of murders, but this setup allowed the murderer to be remote, provided the positioning was exact. Any normal person would've fallen for it, but he wasn't the Ultimate Survivor for nothing...

Tsumugi gave him a piercing glare, staring at him with her deep blue eyes, still motionless. Rantaro could hear her breathing slowly, and he was certain he was, too, even if he didn't realize it. Her eyes tracked him like a cat's would a mouse, ready to pounce any second.

And, she did. Tsumugi lifted the shotput ball and took a step towards Rantaro. An initial jolt of fear overtook him, but he reminded himself that she didn't really want to kill him. He'd just have to convince her of her own feelings. He raised his hands protectively, a casual smile appearing on his face.

"Whoa, whoa, Tsumugi, think this through. Do you _really_ want to kill me? There's a reason you didn't erase all my memories. I'm sure you know it, too..."

Tsumugi stopped in her tracks, and the anger began melting off her face. She gripped the shotput ball hard, her hand shaking, but she couldn't continue to hold her guise. Discouragement overtook her as if she'd remembered a huge project she'd been procrastinating on.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about..."

Rantaro put his hands down and began pleading with her, his expression changing to a more serious one, akin to that of a counselor.

"Tsumugi, we _loved_ each other. What we built in the last Killing Game... Our relationship... It was special. Having gone through fifty of these Killing Games as the Mastermind, seeing so many people die... You never had the chance to talk to someone like you did with me. Yet the one time you _did_ connect with someone, you turned on them and broke their heart... You made the choice, and you chose the Killing Game over me..."

Tsumugi stared at Rantaro in awe, lowering the shotput ball slowly. It was almost as if the boy reached into her mind, yanked out her feelings, and served them to her on a silver platter. She remained motionless as Rantaro continued speaking.

"But still, you couldn't bear to let me go. So you persisted my memories in the next Killing Game, because you wanted our relationship to persist as well... And believe me, I do too... Even though you betrayed me, I still love you..."

Rantaro gave the girl a genuine smile as he reached out his hand towards her, beckoning her to join him.

"Tsumugi, this isn't the same game as the last one. It's a new beginning for both of us... We can start over, no more secrets. What do you say?"

Tsumugi was still in shock, her expression melting over the course of his speech, but she still displayed some concern. She brought the shotput ball close to her chest and stared at it, inspecting it.

"But... But if I don't kill you right here... the show..."

Rantaro instantly dismissed her, waving his hands and sighing. She needed to stop caring about the show, and start caring about herself. You'd think she'd realize that after fifty seasons...

"What about the show? Tsumugi, it's been fifty three seasons of the _same_ Danganronpa! Don't you think that's getting a little, boring?"

Rantaro gave the girl a smirk, throwing his hands in the air playfully.

"What they really want is, a new type of show. They just don't know it yet."

Rantaro felt like he just committed heresy, but it got the point across nonetheless. Tsumugi stared at him, wide-eyed, contemplating executing him for it.

"A new type of show..."

She then began shaking her head slowly, speaking quietly at first but louder as she continued.

"No, no, no, no... They want Danganronpa... And I'm supposed to be their Junko Enoshima... I... I have to give them what they want..."

Tsumugi's nostrils hesitantly flared up in anger. She hefted the shotput ball yet again and began running towards Rantaro, the weight of the ball slowing her down.

Rantaro, unfazed, looked at her. Tsumugi's attack lost the element of surprise, and plus, physical strength wasn't her forte. He didn't know what she was expecting to do here, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to let her do it.

Rantaro lifted his hands up and grabbed Tsumugi's wrists before the shotput ball could connect with his head. She stopped short, mere inches away from his body. Rantaro stared deeply through Tsumugi's glasses and into her deep blue, wavering eyes, his green ones calm and compassionate. He smiled at her yet again, and he could feel the tension in her body releasing, her face growing less rigid.

"But you're not Junko Enoshima. You're Tsumugi Shirogane. You're the one I fell in love with."

Tsumugi's eyes softened as Rantaro spoke, and she turned away, a slight blush appearing on her face.

"I'm just plain old me, though... Why me... Without this show... Who _am_ I?.."

"Tsumugi, you're more than just the Mastermind. You bring characters to life. Characters that make people sit on the edges of their seats, yearning for more. And not only that... You gave me life as well. I'd never exist without you... Not that I'd want to, anyways... You're perfect just the way you are. You don't need to be anyone else."

Tsumugi was still looking down, staring at the bookcase, as if she was a stranger in her own world. This was definitely new to her, Rantaro thought. Becoming an instant television star from these Killing Games... Pouring her life into them, depriving herself of everything else... She was completely used to people loving her for her work... But what she wasn't used to was loving one of them back... Rantaro released Tsumugi's left arm and gently grasped her chin, turning her face so that it was looking at his again. Tsumugi looked like she was about to cry, her eyes twinkling like the stars Kaito yearned to see.

"Rantaro..."

The boy could see countless emotions swirling in those eyes - love, anger, frustration, happiness, peace, confusion. She was clearly distraught. Rantaro gave her another smile, hoping to ease her transition. She didn't deserve to feel this way.

"Tsumugi, you wanted this encounter, even if it was against what the show was about. So there's no reason to feel conflicted... With someone who spends so much time in the skin of others, and so much time dedicated towards this game... It's about time you did something for yourself for a change. What do you say?"

The girl looked away and began thinking, breathing deeply, her eyes still quivering. After a while, she spoke in a calm, yet distant manner, not bothering to make eye contact. Rantaro could sense a hint of sadness in her voice, as if she was giving up on the world.

"But... Even if I did... None of this is real... This isn't the real you... This is all fiction... There was no reason to carry over your memories... I shouldn't have done it..."

Tsumugi turned back towards Rantaro and strove to continue her attack, despite her numerous failed attempts. She thrust the shotput ball towards his head, but Rantaro was too strong, his hands forcing her arms back. Tsumugi continued to struggle against him in vain, tears beginning to flow down her eyes, dripping onto the floor in a constant melody. A combination of sadness and anger overtook her as she grunted in frustration, her motions not getting her anywhere. Rantaro had a neutral expression on his face the entire time, waiting out her assault.

Eventually, she knew she was beat, and she stopped, catching her breath, looking downwards. She could barely breathe, though, as she was bawling her eyes out, her tears downpouring on both her feet and Rantaro's.

Rantaro remained calm, despite her actions. He released her arms and rested his hands softly on her shoulders. Rantaro could sympathize with her. When Tsumugi revealed to him that the entire Killing Game was staged, and everyone participating in it were fictional characters, Rantaro simply couldn't believe it. To him, the Killing Game and the events that ensued in it were real, but to her, to the one who makes those worlds, the Killing Games were just performances, cruel jokes that forced the participants into Despair while entertaining everyone who watched them.

Danganronpa 52 wasn't that. She never expected to create a fiction so real that she'd fall in love with one of her creations. He understood what she was conflicted about. He contemplated it for a while, too, once he was brought back to life here. He eventually came to the realization that even though this is fiction, this was still his reality. And it was just as real for her. Danganronpa _is_ her life, anyways...

"Fiction can change the world, Tsumugi. And it already has. The reason you let me keep my memories... Is because you, as a person, wanted this to be real. You _wanted_ to keep me around. You wanted our relationship to last. But even though your heart told you it was real, your head kept telling you it was fake. And you eventually believed that and turned on me. But the truth is that it isn't fake. It's just about as real as everything else."

Tsumugi looked back up at him, still sniffling. He ran his left hand through her hair, pushing her long, blue locks behind her ear. Her two sapphire eyes looked calmer now, after she released the emotions trapped inside her, a heavy weight off her chest. They stood there for a few seconds, and nervousness began to overtake Rantaro, considering they've been here for so long... He didn't know what would happen if they were seen together in here... Especially because Tsumugi was the Mastermind that everyone else wanted to kill... If he was going to survive this game, then she was, too... He needed to protect her...

Rantaro brought up his original question, lifting his hands in the air as if an officer was pointing a gun at him.

"I'm sure they'll be here any second, now... So, what's it gonna be? I won't fight back this time."

Tsumugi looked towards the doorway, and then back at Rantaro, stray tears still dripping down her face. She stared at him with a more determined expression than before. The boy gave her a compassionate smile, which made her smirk contagiously.

But that smirk didn't last long, as she gripped the shotput ball harder and began lifting it for the final time, bringing it above her shoulders, like a judge raising their gavel. Her deep blue eyes wavered as she held it there for a few seconds.

Suddenly, Rantaro heard the soft sounds of footsteps from outside the library entrance. Their eyes instinctively flicked in that direction. A slightly sinking feeling bubbled up inside of Rantaro. Things weren't looking very optimistic at this point...

Yet, at the last possible second, Tsumugi lowered the ball and started bolting towards her hideout, her free hand grabbing Rantaro's arm to lead him there as well. Rantaro followed as fast as he could, pure shock overtaking his feeling of imminent dread. When they were both safely inside, Tsumugi slammed the door shut behind them.

What came next felt entirely natural to Rantaro. Impulsively, he grabbed Tsumugi's shoulders and turned her around, thrusting her back towards the closed door. Tsumugi hastily rolled the shotput ball onto the floor with a thud, the sound comparable to her pounding heart, and went along with Rantaro, moving her face closer to his. Rantaro closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers, leaning Tsumugi against the door. A few seconds went by in complete silence, neither of them letting the Killing Game or anything else get in the way of their embrace.

At this point, the two who set the trap for the Mastermind burst into the library. The footsteps of Kaede Akamatsu and Shuichi Saihara grew louder as they got closer to the door, echoing throughout the room.

Rantaro released their kiss and stared at Tsumugi with a grin. She smiled widely at him in return. Rantaro knew that wasn't an act; she looked genuinely happy for once. She deserves this, Rantaro thought... They both deserved this... The two of them continued to look into each others' eyes as they listened to the students outside their door.

"There's no one here... We didn't catch them..."

A dejected look appeared on Shuichi's face as he saw the tall, center bookcase closing. Kaede was quick to cheer him up, however.

"Shuichi, don't worry! I'm sure the cameras took a bunch of pictures. We'll find out who the Mastermind is, together."

"Ah, the pictures... You're right..."

Kaede and Shuichi began enthusiastically collecting the cameras in the area. Unfortunately, Rantaro knew that he was clearly shown in more than one of them... He chuckled and shook his head playfully at Tsumugi. It would be difficult, but he knew that somehow they'd make it out of this mess, now that they were together. All they had to do was figure out _how_.

"I wonder how we're gonna weasel our way out of this one..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know some of you were curious about additional chapters, and I apologize for not telling you guys beforehand (and for this one taking so long), but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Rantaro and Tsumugi stood against the secret entrance to her hideout as the voices of Shuichi and Kaede interrupted their moment of intimacy. For a few short seconds, they were in complete bliss, forgetting the Killing Game, forgetting the other students. And especially forgetting the fact that they were in a very precarious situation. To make matters worse, it looked like that situation was getting more dire by the minute...

Rantaro looked at Tsumugi with determination in his eyes, his carefree face stiffening up. The boy pointed a finger at the door they just entered, separating them and the library by mere feet.

"I know for sure that Shuichi captured me on at least one of those cameras. When they realize I knew where the Mastermind's hideout was, I don't think it'll be good news for us..."

Tsumugi nodded her head quickly and looked away, focusing her eyes to think.

"Hm..."

Rantaro's face darkened as he continued explaining.

"And we don't even know how we're gonna escape. We gotta think this one through. One mistake and it's over..."

The obnoxious tune Monokuma was playing on the monitors seeped through the cracks in the door, causing dull white noise, which Rantaro realized wasn't the best for thinking. But apparently it was for Tsumugi. She sheepishly looked at Rantaro, her eyes darting away after making contact with his.

"Um... But the time limit expired... And no one died... So technically, they wouldn't know any better if Monokuma kill-"

Rantaro shook his head, his green hair bobbing about, and grabbed the girl's shoulders aggressively. Tsumugi's face jolted up to look directly at his, her glasses offsetting.

"Tsumugi, do you truly think that's right? Everyone volunteered to be here except for me. In reality, I'm the only one who deserves to die from that rule... And more importantly, killing people should never be an option. I'm not letting you fall down that path again. We're both done with these Killing Games. One's more than enough for a lifetime..."

Tsumugi glared at Rantaro lightly, her voice trailing off after a while. She raised her right hand to fix her glasses.

"But I'm just giving the people what they want... They signed up for this..."

"It's not about them anymore. It's about you."

Rantaro smiled and gripped the girl's shoulders tighter before releasing them. She chuckled lightly and nodded, conceding her point.

The pair of them continued to mull over their strategy, paying attention to Shuichi and Kaede as the two spoke.

"Kaede, I want you to gather everyone here. We'll look at the pictures together."

"Shuichi... The Mastermind could come out of that door any second... Are you sure you'll be ok by yourself?"

"Ah... Yeah... We need someone to watch the door to make sure the Mastermind doesn't escape, anyways..."

"Well, ok. Leave it to me!"

The quick footsteps of Kaede Akamatsu sent chills down Rantaro's spine. He did expect them to consult the others... But _this_ quickly? Before they even saw who was in the photos? He turned towards Tsumugi, his emerald eyes staring into her sapphire ones.

"It looks like we don't have that much time..."

Rantaro grabbed her hand swiftly, startling her and causing her to blush. She froze for a few seconds.

"Tsumugi, you need to go. If you spend too much time here, they'll suspect you, too... We can think of a plan later."

Tsumugi took a step back, her eyes wavering.

"B-but when they see the pictures... What do I tell them..."

"You're right... We really should decide that before you go..."

After another few seconds of silence, with no further ideas, Tsumugi growled, running her hands through her deep blue hair.

"Argh... Normally, my staff and I have weeks to prepare... And I never help much with anything... My ideas are always plain..."

She then plopped back onto the couch, letting out a long sigh.

"Can't we just, tell them the truth, and let them go free?"

Rantaro gave the girl a smirk, shaking his head casually before responding.

"I don't think that'll work out too well... A Mastermind, after trapping fifteen students in a school, simply letting her subjects go free after a couple days? I highly doubt they'd believe that story. And also, I should probably let you know that a bunch of them formed a group to take out the Mastermind a few hours ago... So even if they _could_ leave, I don't know if they'd let _you_ leave, too..."

Tsumugi's wide eyes began to fill with Despair as she slouched even further down on the couch. Rantaro stared at her, wishing a lightbulb could pop above his head and bring him a solution instantly. But, things are never that easy... Even in class trials, it took a lot of thinking and evidence to come to such a conclusion...

Rantaro always thought rationally in those trials. His ideas were never as crazy as some of the other students' ideas were. After all, being the Ultimate Adventurer, he had the skills necessary to lead the way and keep everyone on the right track. It was the perfect complement to some of the other students, whose theories bailed out Rantaro on more than one occasion... His deficiency in this area was perhaps the most important reason why Rantaro never killed anyone...

From those trials, Rantaro learned the power of the truth. The truth is commanding and undeniable. No matter how much a blackened tried to hide their crime, their guilt was always revealed and they were punished for their deeds. He understood Tsumugi's desire to tell the truth here... And even though he knew it'd get out eventually, this definitely wasn't the right time to do so...

Not for the full truth, anyways...

Rantaro slowly lifted his head and walked over towards Tsumugi, his face displaying a warm smile as if this Killing Game didn't exist and instead they were having fun at the beach.

"Maybe we do tell them the truth... One part of the truth, anyways... The fact that I was kidnapped by the Mastermind. That's a good enough reason to be trapped in here... And they'll have even less reason to suspect me if that music stops and they don't die..."

Tsumugi sat upwards in response to Rantaro's comment, the color returning to her face.

"Yeah... That should work for now..."

However, she still had that look in her eyes... That indecisiveness... Rantaro walked up to her as she stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok, Tsumugi?"

Tsumugi looked back at him, but had to turn away. She took a deep breath, and released it even slower, as if there was some heavy weight pushing down on her.

"It's just... Do you think I'll be able to do it? Someone as plain as me?"

Rantaro grinned, "Of course. I watched you survive till the end of the last Killing Game. There's no doubt you have what it takes."

Tsumugi nodded, mumbling under her breath, "But that was all planned..."

A few seconds of silence ensued. Noting that Rantaro wouldn't add anything, the girl took a few steps away, wanting to rejoin the other students as quickly as possible.

"I'll see you later."

"Tsumugi, I don't want you risking anything... Only come back when you know it's safe. I'll wait on this couch until then..."

Rantaro gave her a stiff wave and began to sit down when Tsumugi's eyes widened, standing up straight. She ran over to her bookcase, running her fingers up and down the rows. Her eyes finally set on two DVDs, and after fumbling with them for a second, she rushed them back to Rantaro and held them out to him, her eyes twinkling.

"While you're waiting, you should at least be entertained. Here, watch these!"

Rantaro grabbed the boxes from Tsumugi, as she stared at him in anticipation, her eyes twinkling. He gazed down at the cover art on the DVDs, and then looked back at the girl.

"What are they?"

"They're two of my favorite animes!"

Tsumugi threw a finger at one of the DVDs Rantaro was holding.

"This first one is about-"

Rantaro slowly held up a hand, chuckling at the girl.

"Hey, you've got somewhere to be, right? I'll find out about them soon enough."

Tsumugi jumped a bit, snapping out of her trance, and gave Rantaro a quick nod.

"You're right. I'll see you later!"

Tsumugi ran towards the secret exit, which led to the women's bathroom on the first floor. Rantaro smiled as he watched her run off. Her determination seemed natural... But it was probably because of the anime...

There was still that frozen layer of self-doubt that encapsulated the girl, threatening to restrain her from doing anything for herself... She'd need to break free from it if she was going to survive... Rantaro wished he could stand right next to her, holding her hand tightly, giving her confidence...

But all he could do was sit here and wait. As much as he wanted to help, there was no point in risking being discovered. The boy held up the DVDs and stared at them for a few seconds. Having never seen anime in his life, he wondered what it was like. Especially the shows that Tsumugi was interested in...

Rantaro shrugged and walked up to the TV, inserting the first DVD. Rantaro took a deep breath before pressing the play button.

...

 _Flush_

Tsumugi felt pretty lucky no one saw her leave the woman's bathroom storage closet. She immediately went into a stall and flushed the toilet, as if she had been in there the entire time. After washing her hands, she opened the door and made her way back to the dining room.

Sitting there around the table were Korekiyo Shinguji, Miu Iruma, and Kirumi Tojo. There were four glasses on the table, each filled with tea, and the kettle sitting in the center. Korekiyo was the first to notice Tsumugi's return. He lightly raised a hand in her direction.

"Tsumugi, welcome back."

The other two occupants turned to face Tsumugi as well. She nodded curtly and took her seat again, picking up her cup of tea and sipping it.

"You were in there for a while, are you feeling well? If you aren't, it is my responsibility as a maid to see to it that you are."

Tsumugi expected this from Kirumi. All of her time masterminding these Killing Games, as well as cosplaying, made her used to guising her true intentions. It wasn't hard for her to pretend. As long as she knew what she was pretending, anyways...

"Ah, Kirumi, I'm fine, thank you. I'm feeling much better."

Miu turned away and scowled lightly, the tea in front of her completely untouched.

"You musta taken a big one in there, huh?"

Korekiyo waved his hand at her in disdain.

"Now, now, Miu, no need to be so rude. Why don't you drink your tea and be civilized like the rest of us?"

Miu shivered a bit in response to the comment.

"Tch. I-it's not like I want to be here, or anything... I just don't w-wanna be alone..."

Tsumugi took another sip of her tea. It was getting late, but thankfully the tea was enough to stave off the tiredness. They sat there for another couple seconds, trying their best to ignore Monokuma's blaring music. It wasn't long before the doors burst open and Kaede popped in.

"Guys! We all need to meet in the library! Shuichi and I have something to show you."

Korekiyo was once again the first to speak.

"Ah, something to show us... But _this_ close to the time limit?"

Tsumugi joined in, trying her best to blend in with the rest of them.

"Yeah... We're safe in here... You want us to leave?"

 _Was that the right thing to say? Yeah... That should've been fine..._

Kaede turned away, looking dejected for a second, but her typical optimistic character shone through, and a smile reappeared on her face.

"If we all go together... I think it'll be fine... Right?"

The four of them looked at each other without speaking. Miu then stood up quickly, pushing her chair out, the tea in the cups swishing, almost spilling onto the table.

"You guys are so boring. Fuck this shit, I'm goin' with Kaediot."

Kaede's smile widened as Miu walked over towards her. This only caused Kirumi to tilt her head in contemplation, looking away.

"Yes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious..."

Korekiyo stood up slowly after her comment.

"So that settles it, then. Let's all go."

Tsumugi feigned caution as she took one last sip of her tea. Looks like she was going with them... Was this a good, or bad thing?

"Ok..."

Kaede beamed as she led the four of them down the hallway. She waved at them and pointed down the stairs.

"I need to gather a few more people, so I'll meet you guys down in the Library!"

She ran off, leaving the four of them. Kirumi motioned for them to move on, and the group did.

"I wonder what they have to show us... Kehehe..."

Korekiyo laughed in suspense as they entered the Library. Already inside were seven people: Shuichi, Kaito, Gonta, Maki, Himiko, Tenko, and Angie. They were all gathered around Shuichi, who was holding what looked like photos, the cameras that took them laying on the ground.

Angie stepped close to Shuichi, pointing at him curiously.

"Maybe if you prayed to Atua, the photos would develop faster!"

Shuichi shied away, hiding his face in his cap. He clearly wasn't used to this much attention.

"Uh... I don't think it works like that, Angie..."

Himiko held a finger up, a sly grin on her face, standing on her toes to try to get a better view.

"With my magic, those photos would already be developed!"

Gonta leaned his head in, intrigued by the photographs as well.

"Gonta not understand... Develop... Photos?"

Once Miu realized that her cameras were on the ground, she gasped and butted into the circle, making room for the other three newcomers.

"Get your fuckin' dirty paws off my cameras!"

The girl scooped up her cameras, and stepped a few feet away to inspect them. She yelled from across the room, everyone looking up to face her.

"A-and also! There's no way to make them develop faster! You just gotta wait!"

After her outburst, Kirumi decided to address Shuichi about the situation.

"Shuichi, what are these photos?"

"Ah... They could have information about the Mastermind..."

Tsumugi, doing what she did best, played dumb. It was what she was used to, anyways. The best way to pretend you know nothing about something is to pretend you know nothing about _everything_.

Weird... She spent fifty Killing Games honing her character... But at this very moment, she didn't feel like it was enough...

"The Mastermind? But... how?"

Shuichi pointed to one of the library bookcases, and the group turned to look.

"There's a secret door behind this bookcase. It leads to the Mastermind's hideout. We set up these cameras here to hopefully capture the Mastermind in the act of using that door..."

"Kehehe... So all we have to do is wait in anticipation, then..."

Kaito lifted a fist at them, stars appearing in his eyes.

"Yeah, at least until that time limit expires... At that point, we'll have to fight against the Mastermind with everything we've got. Whoever they are..."

Tenko spoke up, looking away slyly in response.

"Yeah, they're probably a degenerate male..."

Maki rolled her eyes at the girl, showing her usual self.

"Well, the Mastermind is probably someone who isn't here right now... And everyone who isn't here is a guy..."

Almost as if on cue, Kaede ran into the room, bringing Keebo, Kokichi, and Ryoma. Shuichi walked towards her and smiled. The girl huffed as she spoke up, hands on her knees.

"I looked everywhere, and they're the only ones left that I could find. I didn't see Rantaro anywhere..."

Tightness gripped Tsumugi's chest, but she told herself to stay calm. Even though this wasn't part of the script, it was still a performance. She took a deep breath and tilted her head in confusion, opening her lips slightly as she looked around the room. Shuichi put his hand over his mouth and spoke up.

"Hm... We _did_ see Rantaro when Kaito's group walked down to the basement..."

Kaito joined in with his classic aloof grin.

"Yeah, he was with us the whole time. At least, until he told us he had somethin' to do and left..."

"I see..."

Shuichi contemplated for a bit, but Kokichi interrupted him by waltzing over and ripping the photos out of his hands with a smile.

"Hey, Shuichi, what are those? Didja take some selfies just for me? Nee-hee-hee!"

Shuichi reached out at the boy, but he held the photos up, staring at them, trying to see what was depicted in them.

"Ah, Kokichi, d-don't-"

Kaede walked up and stiffly grabbed Kokichi's arm. Shock filled the boy's face as he turned around. Kaede yanked the photos away from him, holding them high enough that he couldn't reach them.

"Don't play with them! They're important!"

Kokichi turned away, scowling lightly.

"Those pictures are all of Rantaro, how could they be important?"

The entire room stood there in shock as what was depicted in the photos apparently became visible. Gonta spoke up in disbelief, terror in his eyes, as he processed Kokichi's statement.

"O-of Rantaro? So does that mean Rantaro... is Mastermind?"

Tenko grinned, a condescending expression overtaking her face again.

"Just as I thought. Typical degenerate male..."

Kaede passed around the photos, and everyone, including Tsumugi, got a good look at them. It was clear that Rantaro knew where the secret entrance was. And it was also very clear that he wasn't in this room right now...

Tsumugi took a deep breath as what Rantaro has predicted came to pass. But all she had to do was convince them that he was captured, without revealing herself as the true Mastermind. It shouldn't be that hard, but then again, she wasn't the type to convince people of anything, or the type to bring up ideas like that... The butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and nerves overtook her for the first time in her professional career as a Mastermind.

But before she could do anything else, Monokuma's music broadcast stopped, and the picture changed to a visual of the bear.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! It means a lot to me that this story is as engaging to you as it is to me. I've got the entire rest of the storyline planned out, so it'll be at least another 2-3 chapters, maybe more, depending on how much I decide to write. So be on the lookout for more content!**

 **If you liked this, I happen to have two other pieces that fit the same mold (rare pair, alternate timeline, covert activities). They're The Biggest Challenge Yet and its sequel, Beyond Hope and Despair. So definitely give them a read if you're interested.**

 **Also - I'm going to be posting another project of mine here in a bit, so I'd appreciate it if you could check it out as well! I always welcome any and all feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3

**DING DONG, BING BONG**

The students' eyes slowly focused on Monokuma's Monitor, flashing in front of them.

 _"Ahem. The time limit has just passed. I guess none of ya had the guts to kill, huh? Well, a promise is a promise... Everyone who was forced to participate in this game should be prepared to perish! I'll see you guys in a bit... Once I'm ready! Upupupu..."_

Everyone in the room looked around at each other nervously. And rightfully so, Tsumugi thought. They didn't know that they volunteered to take part in this Killing Game. Relief overtook her for a second, as her nervousness could be masked as the real thing. Even so, it didn't make her feel any better...

She wondered, would Monokuma simply tell them they weren't forced to participate? That'd be the most reasonable thing... But the real question is if Monokuma would show up before the students took action... There wasn't much to prepare at all, but Tsumugi told Monokuma beforehand to give the students a few minutes of leeway, just in case one of them _did_ decide to kill upon hearing the announcement.

Amidst the despair, one student took a fighting stance, and wasn't showing the same expression as his classmates. Kaito slammed his fists together and began yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, guys! We can't just stand around here! Don't you remember what I gathered you all to do? Let's storm on in there to stop that Mastermind, Rantaro, from killing us all!"

All the attention focused on Kaito. Gonta was quick to stand tall and join in, clenching a fist.

"Kaito is right. Gonta will fight to protect everyone, too."

Like a wave against the beach, Kaito's hope motivated the students. Tsumugi's character wasn't one to be easily convinced by Kaito. At least, she thought she wasn't... Was she?

 _Stop!_

Tsumugi's nerves got the better of her as she began second-guessing herself. But all she had to do was just take a deep breath, and everything would be fine, right? Wait... Would taking a deep breath reveal her inner turmoil?

 _Augh..._

Tsumugi stood there, combating her own mind, watching a few others join Kaito. Tenko scowled, but got into her fighting pose, facing the Mastermind's door.

"Hmpf. I'll show that degenerate the true power of Neo Aikido!"

"With my magic, there's no way we'll lose."

"I shall pray to Atua for our success!"

Kaede also put her hands up in eagerness, her yellow hair bobbing slightly.

"I'm sure if we all work together, we'll win!"

Shuichi smiled a bit as he stood next to her, but was still unenthused. As usual, Kaede picked up on this, and turned towards the detective. She scanned the room for less motivated students as well. Tsumugi's heart skipped a beat as Kaede's eyes met hers. Did she hesitate for too long?

"Shuichi, what's the matter? And Tsumugi, and Keebo, too. Everything will be okay."

Tsumugi couldn't muster the courage to say anything, but thankfully, since Kaede brought it up, Shuichi could.

"Well... I'm just a detective, right? And I'm not even a very good one, either... I just, I don't know how much I'd be able to help..."

Ah, right. The character trait she gave Shuichi - self-doubt. Tsumugi saw an opportunity here, as her situation was the same as the detective's. If she wasn't in public, she'd have patted herself on the back.

"Um, I was thinking the same thing... What could little ol' me do to help..."

Kaede took Shuichi's hands again, clasping them in hers. A blush overtook his face, and he looked away.

"Shuichi, it doesn't matter what you can do. Everyone can do something. You were the one who discovered this door in the first place, remember? The more people we have, the easier it will be to overpower Rantaro. So will you join us?"

After a few seconds, the blush on the boy's face disappeared and he turned back towards Kaede and nodded.

"Y-yes. I'll do what I can to help."

Tsumugi desperately wanted to bring up the fact that they didn't have to do this, that they weren't actually going to die. But now wasn't the right time. It wasn't in character for her. It was best to simply agree with Kaede, for now.

"M-me too."

But they were getting dangerously close to actually barging in to her hideout... And at that point, Rantaro would surely be toast... No amount of convincing could stop them... She needed to find an opening, and fast... Where was Monokuma... Didn't the bear always come instantly if you asked for him? If only she could request his presence without being overt about it...

"What about you, Keebo?"

Keebo was busy contemplating something, his hand clenching his chin. His ahoge was standing up, as straight as an antenna, tingling slightly.

And for good reason, too. Because that hair strand on top of his head was _actually_ an antenna.

Keebo was a regular human who wanted to play in Tsumugi's Killing Game - but he wanted to be the Ultimate Robot. And because of that, Tsumugi thought of a brilliant idea - to give him an antenna that allowed for the viewers to send generic signals to him. It would surely skyrocket the program's viewership, and her ratings...

Now that she thought of it, in this scenario, _more_ viewers actually made the situation _worse_...

 _Augh..._

"I don't think that I've told you all this, but there's something inside me... some sort of inner voice... I can't explain it, but it's telling me that something isn't right here..."

Shuichi looked at Keebo, a perplexed look on his face.

"Interesting... What's it saying?"

After a second of intense concentration, Keebo sighed, a look of tiredness appearing on his face.

"I can't tell... All I know is, it objects to _something_ here..."

Kaede contemplated Keebo's response as well, looking towards Shuichi for the final say.

"Hmm... Shuichi, what should we do?"

Kaede and the rest of the crowd turned towards the detective. His eyes widened, but he quickly hid his face behind his cap, like a nervous child at their first recital.

"Augh..."

Thankfully, Shuichi wasn't the most decisive character. Tsumugi thanked herself again for this. But still, if Monokuma didn't show up, then this all didn't matter... Why couldn't that bear hurry-

An idea popped into Tsumugi's head. It was the best chance she had. But even then, she was still nervous about it...

 _Just say it_

She gulped down her fear and spoke up.

"Um... If we don't make a decision quickly... Monokuma might show up..."

"You're right, Tsumugi. Um..."

Every second they waited seemed like an eternity. Tsumugi wanted desperately to look towards the door, to see if the bear would show up, but she knew she shouldn't. Eventually, Shuichi nodded his head, and pointed towards the door.

"There's only one way to find out the truth behind this Killing Game. And that's hearing it straight from the Mastermind's mouth. So let's go."

Tsumugi's heart sank as Kaito threw a fist in the air. She felt like dropping to her knees, but for some reason her body wouldn't let her. Was all this... was all this for nothing? Did she truly lose? The students all got into position in front of the door, ready to take it down by force.

"All right! Let's-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there. What do you think you guys are doing?"

And, as if an answer to Tsumugi's prayer, Monokuma popped up, appearing behind the gang. Tenko screamed in shock, as if she saw a bug.

"M-M-Monokuma?"

"Yup! It's me! I was just getting ready to give you all what you deserved after that announcement. But I come here, and I see what? It _looooked_ like my students were about to break into the room behind that door! You know that's against the rules, right?"

Monokuma threw up a fist at everyone, but Miu retaliated.

"Yeah, no shit! We're all gonna die anyways, what else are we gonna do?"

Monokuma laughed at them, completely dissipating the tension in the air.

"Puhuhuhu... Oh, you naive little children... None of you are gonna die."

Almost as if in a trance, everyone's eyes widened collectively. Ryoma spoke up, his deep voice breaking the silence.

"So, were you lying, or what?"

Monokuma giggled again, in an eerie tone.

"Nope! Monokuma never lies!"

Himiko turned away, taking off her hat and gripping it hard.

"I don't get it..."

Kokichi, a sly grin appearing on his face, responded to the magician.

"Oh, Himiko... I think what he means is... That none of us were forced to be here."

Of course, _he_ would be the one to come to that conclusion first, Tsumugi thought. She wondered how the rest of them would take it. But she decided to take a back seat for now, as she didn't need to bring attention to herself.

Kaito naturally objected to that, clenching a fist.

"What? There's no way! You're saying we, like, volunteered to participate?"

Kokichi slipped a finger under his nose as a dark expression enveloped his face.

"Well, that's the only explanation, right Shuichi?"

Shuichi thought for a few seconds, and then gave a light sigh.

"Yeah... Unfortunately, I think Kokichi is right this time..."

A casual smile exploded onto Kokichi's face, almost as if nothing had ever happened.

"Wow, it's my lucky day! Shuichi agrees with me!"

Korekiyo interrupted him, however, stepping in front of the group.

"To be quite frank, I don't believe _how_ we got in this situation matters. If volunteering for this Killing Game means that we live another day, then I'll gladly accept it."

Kirumi quickly agreed with Korekiyo, lifting a hand up in consolation.

"Yes. That also means we do not have to take action now, since there is no immediate danger."

Miu scowled at the two of them and their formal behavior, harking back to their time sitting in the kitchen.

"But isn't Monokuma gonna pull some other shitty motive out of his ass?"

Everyone turned towards the bear, who was startled. Sweat beads began dripping down Monokuma's face, as his eyes darted around the room. The bear backed into a corner.

"Uh... Um... Run along now, kiddies! Monokuma will have your next motive when he gets around to it!"

Maki rolled her eyes at Monokuma, looking away.

"So you haven't planned this far in advance? That seems odd."

Angie joined in as well, pointing her paintbrush at the bear menacingly.

"Nyahahaha! Come on, Monokuma, you can do better!"

Monokuma stood there, under the pressure of fifteen students, sweating buckets. Tsumugi could feel the eyes of the bear look in her direction more than once, but she looked away, trying to stay as far away from this conversation as possible. She'd have to do something about that bear later... He'd be _pretty_ mad that she just backstabbed him...

"Well... Uh... Gotta go! Bye!"

Monokuma disappeared instantly, leaving the students in complete shock that they managed to get the upper hand against their captor. Kaito scratched the back of his head, still trying to comprehend the situation.

"So, like, there's no motive right now? No restrictions? No nothing? Did we... Did we just win the Killing Game?"

Kaede smiled at him, raising her hands.

"Maybe... And it's all because we worked together and didn't kill anyone."

Kaede's warmth spread around the room like a rising sun, but Keebo broke the silence like a raincloud against it.

"I don't think it's over yet... My inner voice is giving me an unsettling feeling... There might be more to this than meets the eye..."

Gonta stood tall, questioning the robot, stepping towards him. He cupped a hand around his ear.

"What does Keebo's voice say? Can Gonta hear?"

Keebo chuckled and threw up his hands in a standoffish manner.

"No, Gonta, it doesn't work like that. I can't decipher exactly what it's saying... But when I think about the events that unfolded today... And the Mastermind... I can't help but feel there's something we're missing..."

Tsumugi's eyes lit up instantly. She has been losing herself in the conversation, but this was the perfect time to bring up her theory about Rantaro. She just had to make sure to be very careful about her wording here, lest she sound _too_ smart...

"Oh, um... That reminds me... I was thinking about that, too... And something did feel odd."

She internally smiled. Maybe having Keebo around wasn't _entirely_ a bad thing... She'd still have to disable that antenna, though. The audience knew she was the Mastermind, and allowing them to communicate with Keebo, even indirectly, was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

Most of the group seemed surprised at the girl's outburst, but Tsumugi didn't let that bother her. Kirumi tilted her head at the girl.

"What is it, Tsumugi?"

"Well... If what we thought was right... And Rantaro was the Mastermind... Then why did Monokuma not have another motive for us?"

Miu tossed her hair around, immediately dismissing the girl's theory.

"Well, shit-for-brains, that's what Rantaro must be doing now. Preparing the next motive. Duh-doi!"

Tsumugi felt a lead ball drop in her stomach. She tried vainly to fend off this feeling, but before she knew it, Shuichi countered Miu's claim, and the lead ball dissolved.

"Wait a second, Miu. Tsumugi's right about one thing. The Mastermind organized this entire thing. Do you really think they'd leave something like this to the last minute? And especially if the Mastermind was in their hideout, they'd be able to set up anything they wanted to. So I'm doubtful of Rantaro being the Mastermind..."

Miu shrieked at the rebuttal.

"Eep! R-really?"

Keebo joined in, agreeing with the detective, waving his hand at him.

"Shuichi, my inner voice seems to agree with you. I'm getting a totally different response than I was before."

"Oh. Thanks..."

Kokichi stepped up again, putting on the same malevolent grin. Tsumugi knew where this was going, and it was to be expected. To be honest, she was surprised at how well the situation played out. All she had to do now was act suspicious of everyone else, and that was easy enough.

"But you know what that means, right? If Rantaro isn't the Mastermind..."

Everyone took a second to comprehend Kokichi's statement. Himiko began shaking, her hat getting more and more scrunched up in her hands.

"Th-then it's one of us, r-right?"

The same eerie aura that appeared at the start of the Killing Game filled the room, suspicion and doubt appearing on everyone's face.

Well, everyone except Kaede. Tsumugi really appreciated her optimism, especially in this situation. It was naturally contagious, and Tsumugi didn't have to force herself to pretend with Kaede like this. Such a mentality made Tsumugi feel like she already won.

"Even if one of us is the Mastermind, we can't move forward if we don't work together. So I'll trust all of you. It's the only way we can get out of this, right?"

As Kaede's expression radiated into the room, the tension in the air began to dissolve. It dissipated almost immediately when Kaito's voice boomed over everyone.

"Yeah! Let's all work together. I believe in all of you!"

"Gonta believe in everyone, too. But... Gonta not know what to do now."

After a second of silence, Shuichi lifted his cap to voice his opinion, albeit a bit quiet.

"Well, for whatever reason, Rantaro is now in the Mastermind's hideout. And I'm not sure when he'll come back out... Especially if he was captured... But the bigger question is that, if the real Mastermind is truly one of us, then there must be some other entrance to this hideout. I'm sorry for being suspicious of everyone, but it's the only way we'll get to the truth - if we assume we can find another entrance."

Kaede put her hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to blush again, his face growing redder than before.

"Yeah, I agree with Shuichi. I'm sure we'll find a way in if we search hard enough!"

Around the rooms, everyone began nodding at varying levels of intensity. But no one moved, and after a few seconds of silence, Korekiyo let out a yawn, holding his hand to his masked mouth lightly.

"Ah, look at the time. It's getting quite late. As much as I'd love to help, I believe it's our best course of action to get some rest and start fresh tomorrow."

Miu agreed, starting to walk away before anyone else could respond.

"Yeah, this queen needs her beauty sleep. Don't get in my way, shitheads."

A couple of the other students joined in, following Miu out the door. Tsumugi naturally wanted to get as far away from here as possible, so she hurried along with the gang. But before the rest could go, Kaede interrupted them.

"Shouldn't we have some of us guard this door?"

Angie responded to her comment, waving her paintbrush in the air as if writing someone's name.

"But if there's another entrance, the Mastermind can just use that, no?"

Ignoring the girl's response, Kaito stood up tall and slammed his right hand across his chest.

"Well, we can never be too careful. As the leader, I'll volunteer to stay here. No one can get past Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"

Kokichi laughed at the boy, spit flying from his mouth.

"Nice try, dumbass, but we need more than one person to guard the door. Unless, of course, you're the Mastermind, and want to be given free reign to enter your hideout?"

Kaito threw his hands together in rage.

"No, that's not it! I'm not the Mastermind!"

Gonta waved his hands at them, as if taming an animal, attempting to stop the conflict before it got any worse.

"Gonta will stay with Kaito. Gonta is strong enough to protect friends."

The rest of them looked at each other in concern, wondering if leaving these two by themselves was good enough. Thankfully, Kirumi joined in, dissolving any traces of uncertainty.

"I shall stay with them as well, to provide for everyone."

Kaede smiled at the three of them and gave them a light wave.

"Thanks, Kirumi, and Kaito and Gonta, too! We'll see you tomorrow morning!"

Before they parted ways, Kaito interjected with a thought. It was _always_ like him to get out of his work...

"Oh wait, I forgot! I wanted to train tonight!.. Hey, Shuichi, you wanna take my place?"

Kaito walked up to the boy and slapped him on the back. Shuichi, after looking around at everyone's watchful eyes, especially Kaede's, reluctantly agreed.

"Ok..."

"Thanks! I always knew I could count on you, sidekick!"

Shuichi walked towards Kirumi and Gonta as his face reddened. Kaede gave the boy a curt smile and a wave.

After exchanging goodbyes, the twelve students were on their way back to the dorms. Tsumugi took a deep breath as she exited the Library, and within a minute, she was in her room. She plopped on her bed, exhausted from today. What started out as a normal day in a Killing Game turned into the most stressful day of her life. She was so tired she could fall asleep in minutes...

But she sat straight up instead. She had a job to do. She needed to come up with a plan that would get her and Rantaro out of here, and she didn't have much time. Once she made sure everyone was in their rooms, Tsumugi snuck out and ran back into the school.

The adrenaline fueled her body, and her lethargy vanished. Maybe it was the imposing deadline, and the uncertainty of the future, that caused her to be so awake, she thought. All of her Killing Games were always premeditated, planned in advance. It was a nice change of pace, and it gave her a feeling that she's never felt in her fifty seasons as a Mastermind.

Or maybe it was just love.

Tsumugi shrugged. It didn't matter what it was, she was going to see Rantaro nonetheless. And she knew if they worked hard enough, they'd both make it out of here alive.


	4. Chapter 4

Tsumugi snuck to the women's bathroom on the first floor of the school, late at night. She looked behind her every few seconds, her head jolting back and forth so much she felt her neck would snap. She didn't want anyone following her, after today's conversation.

Yet, no one did. Which made sense; the only one she expected to follow her would be Kokichi. But as much of a rebel that boy is, he wouldn't dare enter the women's bathroom. Tsumugi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as soon as she entered and closed the door.

She stood there for a while, simply breathing, unable to move. Today was a long day, and her body prompted her to just slouch down here and fall asleep. She could feel her eyes drooping slightly with every passing second.

But no. She couldn't fall asleep yet. Not tonight, of all nights.

Tsumugi clenched her fists and took steps towards the secret entrance to her hideout. She opened the passage, and made her way down the hallway.

Her future with Rantaro was relying on the outcome of this Killing Game. If she didn't adequately prepare, then it could all vanish in the blink of an eye...

She _did_ have all night to discuss next steps, so she didn't have to spend _all_ their time thinking up plans... Which was nice... She feared she'd fall apart due to all the pressure if she didn't have time to relax...

Anyways, there was something she needed to do first, before she even thought about doing anything else. Well, two things...

Tsumugi approached the end of the hallway, and pressed her hand against a panel on the wall. The door flew open, and she hurriedly walked inside, her eyes instantly darting towards the couch that she left Rantaro on.

Rantaro was lounging on the couch, his emerald eyes fixated on the television a few feet away, the dull blue light illuminating the room.

Tsumugi smirked, stars beginning to form in her eyes. She didn't think it'd be _this_ easy to force her hobbies onto someone else...

Rantaro was watching anime. At _her_ recommendation.

The boy's eyes flitted towards her, and she froze, instinctively placing her hand over her heart. After a couple seconds, they darted back towards the tv.

Tsumugi stared at the boy for a bit, and couldn't think of anything better to do than to greet him.

"Rantaro..."

"Hey. Everything go ok out there?"

His voice was light, yet with enough sympathy that Tsumugi knew where his focus was, even though his eyes were glued to the television.

"Um, yeah... I'll be right there..."

Tsumugi approached her control panel, and her fingers found their way to a metallic dial with Keebo's face on it. Along the sides were colored bars, ranging from red to green; the pointer was somewhere in the yellow at this point. Just as she started to turn the dial, Monokuma popped up behind her.

And not just Monokuma - it seems the Monokubs were woken up for this very meeting, as well.

 _"Rise and shine, ursine!"_

Monokuma shook a fist at the girl, stomping up to her.

"Hey, HEY! Tsumugi! What do you think you're doin? This is a Killing Game! And you're the Mastermind! So start actin' like one!"

And one by one, the Monokubs joined in, supporting their father.

"A woman shouldn't go back on her word. This Killing Game must go on!"

"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS"

"Ooh, pops is gettin' _real_ angry! You better apologize fast!"

Tsumugi's eyes shifted from one bear to the next, surrounding her and bombarding her with their arguments. She turned around quickly, to her control panel.

"I-I don't need you anymore."

Monokuma grabbed onto the girl's leg and started pulling it, in the hopes that she'd fall.

" _What_ did you say _?_ This is _Danganronpa_! Danganronpa without Monokuma is like bread without butter! A bear without honey! _You are the Mastermind!_ And this Killing Game needs to continue! Now, make the _right choice_ and-"

Tsumugi slammed a red button on her control pad, displaying the face of Monokuma. The color faded from the button, and in the same vein, consciousness faded from the bear.

"Not the... dreadfully... wrong one..."

The Monokubs all jumped back as their father was put out of business. They stared at Tsumugi with angry eyes, but she had five more buttons waiting for them. She systematically pressed them, incapacitating the Monokubs. Only Monodam had the strength to mutter a few words.

"BUT... WHAT ABOUT..."

Like metal being thrown into a dumpster, the bears fell with a light clang. Tsumugi turned towards Rantaro, who was apparently watching them intently. She didn't notice that sound wasn't playing from the television; he must have paused it to focus his attention on them. His eyes locked with hers for a second, and she froze again.

Without a word, he simply shrugged and unpaused the episode, letting Tsumugi go about her own business.

She turned back to her control panel in anticipation. She'd have to see which show he was watching...

Her hand flew to the Keebo dial, and she turned it from yellow to red. Finally done, her footsteps rushed to reach to the couch that Rantaro was laying on. But before she could take a seat, he paused the television and began asking her questions.

"So? Do they think I'm the Mastermind?"

"Yeah... Even though I tried to convince them that you were captured instead..."

Rantaro turned towards the girl, and nodded. His eyes seemed to lighten up when they reached hers.

"Right... You _did_ tell me you were gonna say that... So what's their plan now?"

Tsumugi put a finger to her cheek, and responded. He understood why the boy was questioning her... But couldn't he at least _wait_ a while? They were finally together again...

"Um... Well, tomorrow, they're gonna start looking for the secret entrance to this place... I'm nervous that they'll find it..."

Rantaro gave the girl another shrug, and reached down next to the couch.

"You never know..."

He pulled out two pairs of handcuffs. Tsumugi had them laying around somewhere... But she didn't know why he decided to fish them out now...

He motioned to put them on his arms and legs.

"These might convince them that your story is true. All I gotta do is-"

"Rantaro!"

Tsumugi instinctively shouted out towards him, a hand darting in his direction. Her volume was a bit louder than she would have liked. But she didn't want him in handcuffs. At least not yet. Cuddling someone in handcuffs was pretty tough...

"N-not yet... Please..."

Rantaro stared at the girl, and then gave her a warm smile, then dropped the handcuffs.

"Can't really object to that. Your game, your rules... Besides, we need to think of a plan, right?"

Tsumugi's eyes narrowed in on Rantaro's. He didn't get what she was saying. Or, maybe he did, but he didn't show it... She couldn't tell if he was simply toying with her, or if he was _that_ dedicated towards their future... She wanted to escape from the stress, for even a little bit, but Rantaro was making it difficult... Why wouldn't he understand...

"Well... That can wait, right?"

"Wait till when? We don't have that much time, Tsumugi."

Tsumugi sighed lightly. When will he learn... Could she even convince him?

As a last-ditch attempt, she decided to bring up something else. It was an unwritten rule that would hopefully give them at least _some_ time to themselves... Tsumugi gave the boy a smirk, hoping that he'd understand...

"Until the end of the episode. Everyone knows you can't just quit watching an episode halfway through."

Rantaro chuckled a bit, and then stared at Tsumugi, as if trying to unlock her mind. As their eyes locked, it was getting harder and harder for her to keep the same, neutral expression...

He copied her smirk as he answered, unpausing the television and turning back towards it.

"I guess you do have a point."

His expression told all. Rantaro knew her goal this entire time... She rolled her eyes at him and smiled, finally able to see what show the boy was watching.

"Soooo... How are you liking it?"

The screen showcased a caped figure dressed all in black, with a dark blue visor covering their face. Albeit the glazed look on Rantaro's, he seemed to be interested in the show. After all, it _was_ getting pretty late...

But the time didn't really bother Tsumugi. She was tired before, but now that she was next to Rantaro, it was as if she was miraculously filled with energy, even forgetting about creating a plan. She plopped on the couch next to him, her glasses bouncing on her face. She stared at the boy until he gave her a casual glance. Her wide smile and twinkling eyes were contagious, and Rantaro couldn't help but grin as well. He didn't take his eyes off the television as he spoke.

"Well... That first one you recommended, I didn't like it too much..."

Tsumugi's arms shot towards Rantaro, her fingers gripping his left shoulder. She shook him playfully, her eyes wide in surprise.

"But how? It's a _classic_! How could you not like it?"

Rantaro looked at the girl in the corner of his eye and gave her a shrug.

"I mean... The dude's smart and all... But the show's all about hiding your identity and killing people by writing their names in some evil book..."

Tsumugi couldn't wipe the startled expression off her face. She ripped the remote from Rantaro's hand and paused the television. The boy turned towards her slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"What? B-but the battle of wits that the two of them have... It's just... insane to watch..."

Rantaro raised his arm and placed it on Tsumugi's shoulder. He gave her a natural smile that melted her emotions, her heart skipping a beat.

No one else could make her feel that way, she thought. He was always so casual, so caring, even when others opposed him. And not to mention that magical smile he had... The fact that she was able to be here with him was a blessing in of itself.

"But killing people... No matter how right he says it is, I know that it's wrong. It reminds me too much of-"

Tsumugi turned away, understanding where he was going with this. She didn't really feel like opposing him anymore.

"Of the Killing Games?"

"Yeah... That's why I can't watch it..."

Tsumugi nodded at the boy, slumping down in her seat, dropping her arms onto her lap.

"But... The apples... And the potato chips... And the cake..."

* * *

Rantaro chuckled at her comment, taking the hand on her shoulder and inching it closer to the back of her neck. They never _did_ have a moment like this before... All the time they spent together previously, they never knew how they felt about each other... Not until earlier today... Rantaro knew he loved her, everything about her, her shining sapphire eyes, her long, navy hair, her bubbly personality... Now he knew she felt the same. And if watching anime would bring them closer, then who was he to decline? Not that this particular show wasn't interesting...

The boy threw his right finger at the television. The image was paused on a shot of a brown-haired boy and his sister, sitting in a wheelchair.

"But this show is different. I can see why you'd like it... It's still about someone who wants to take over the world, and all the espionage and trickery associated with it... But his motivations are a bit better..."

Tsumugi nodded swiftly, smiling in agreement, her posture straightening up. Rantaro couldn't tell if Tsumugi simply didn't notice his hand on her upper back, or she didn't care, but he wasn't one to question it. He assumed the latter.

"Yeah! He motivates a suppressed community to rebel against their oppressors for his own personal gain! Not to mention the characters are great to cosplay, too..."

Rantaro facepalmed with his free hand, shaking his head and compulsively laughing. It's natural for her to think that way... From all that she's been through... But he'd just have to show her the other side. He waved his finger at the girl, giving her a sly grin.

"Tsumugi... You don't quite get it, do you? I don't care that he wants to take over the world. What really matters, is that he's doing it for _her_."

Rantaro moved his hand so his finger was pointed at the girl in the wheelchair.

"He's so dedicated towards his sister that he's willing to change the world for her... And doing things for your sisters is something that I'm very accustomed to... All twelve of them."

The pair of them exchanged glances, and their eyes locked for a couple seconds, time freezing around them. Rantaro thought she looked beautiful sitting there, as her natural self. She didn't need to pretend to be anyone else. As much as she cosplayed and roleplayed, Rantaro truly liked her best the way she was.

However, Tsumugi looked away, her face growing somber.

"...Even though your sisters are all fake?"

"Even though they're fake."

"I... I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For giving you fake memories..."

Rantaro chuckled. It didn't matter that his memories were fake. The only thing that mattered right now, was her.

"Don't worry about it. The fact that the memories were made up doesn't make them any less real to me. So many positive thoughts... I could practically _feel_ them... If my sisters _did_ exist, I'd do anything for them."

The boy then put on a mischievous grin, taking the girl by surprise.

"Just like all the times I painted their nails..."

Tsumugi's mouth gaped at the boy, and she turned away, pouting. Her arms folded across her chest, holding her nose high.

"Hmpf. You just _had_ to bring that up... I'm still mad that you interrupted Kaede's makeover..."

Rantaro rubbed his hand along her upper back, still toying with her.

"Well maybe I'm just better at painting nails than you."

"No you're not! And stop touching me!"

Tsumugi didn't budge, and Rantaro almost took back his hand, but he had a better idea. He shifted his left hand to her far shoulder and attempted to pull her closer. Tsumugi did her best to resist, turning to look at the boy with a pout. Rantaro knew the anger on her face wasn't how she truly felt. She did look cute when she was angry, though...

Tsumugi eventually gave in, leaning her head on Rantaro's shoulder and wedging her arm behind his back, her blue hair tickling the boy's neck. Rantaro ran his fingers down her left arm, giving her a light smile.

"Besides my sisters, there's a certain other woman I'd do anything for..."

Rantaro could tell that Tsumugi was grinning. She reached over him and dropped the remote on his lap, grabbing his side. She tugged at him.

"Rantaro..."

They sat there in silence for a couple seconds, after which Rantaro picked up the remote and pressed the play button. Dull voices began sounding from the television again, and Tsumugi turned her head to watch, still laying against Rantaro.

* * *

There were only five minutes left... And then it'd be over... At least for now, anyways. Tsumugi already saw the show, so she didn't feel the need to pay attention, especially with the timer looming over her head. It ticked down, and with every second, it meant one second less of this bliss, this simple pleasure of not having to worry about the Killing Game, not having to think about anything... Tsumugi tried her best to enjoy it, to revel in Rantaro's presence. It was difficult to not look at the clock, but she felt her eyes constantly drifting in that direction.

 _Stop_!

Gripping Rantaro harder, she told herself to focus. To not look at the clock.

She turned back to the television just as the main character threw his hand in the direction of another man, as if giving him an order. That man, even though he seemed to be an enemy, interestingly complied to the request, almost as if his mind were being controlled. Rantaro let out a light chuckle.

"Wouldn't that be nice."

Tsumugi responded lightly, not moving from the comfortable position she was in.

"What?"

"If we had his ability. The power to control people, the power to give someone any command and have them execute it, no matter what. That'd make all our problems vanish. Our situation'd be a hell of a lot easier to get out of..."

Rantaro sighed quietly before Tsumugi responded, growing more alert.

"Yeah, you're right..."

"If only you were him, though... If only your cosplay was magic..."

Tsumugi's eyes lit up upon hearing about cosplay. She jumped off the couch quickly and ran over to her closet, grabbing a white sheet and throwing it over her shoulders like a cape. Pointing at Rantaro, she imitated the character to the best of her ability.

"Tsumugi Shirogane commands you! Forget this Killing Game, and everything about it!"

Rantaro gave the girl a warm smile. Seeing her like this, as her natural self, it was captivating. She looked like she was truly having fun, not having to bottle up her emotions trying to hide the fact that she was the Mastermind. This is right, he thought. This is how it should be. Well, except for the fact that the Killing Game wasn't dealt with yet...

But suddenly, Tsumugi's sapphire eyes widened, and she froze. Her mouth opened in revelation as she released the makeshift cape off her back. It fluttered to the ground as she ran back over to Rantaro.

"The Flashback Light!"

Rantaro was surprised at her outburst, so he wasn't prepared to respond. He simply repeated her words, comprehending them as he spoke.

"The Flashback Light..."

"Yes! The tool I used to give the players fake memories. There's a version of it called the Blackout Light that erases memories!"

Rantaro nodded his head. Right. He _did_ remember this. Tsumugi used it in the last Killing Game he was a part of.

"Right..."

"We can use that to erase everyone's memories of this Killing Game!"

The gears in Rantaro's head began turning... Yes... This was exactly the solution they'd been looking for... A way to end the game without killing anyone...

"Yeah, that's right... You'll have to manually program that into the system, though... And that'll take some time..."

"Yup! It's not hard, though! It should only take a few hours. If I start now, I'll be done by morning!"

Still enthralled by her idea, Tsumugi started to run towards the secret entrance, but Rantaro grabbed her wrist again.

"Tsumugi, wouldn't it be suspicious if you met the others without getting any sleep? And you don't know if anyone is gonna get up early and see that you're missing. It's too risky..."

"But... But once it's done, it won't matter, right? I could just use it on them."

Rantaro pulled her closer and stared into her eyes, showing concern.

"What if it doesn't get finished in time? There are too many questions, Tsumugi. It's better to wait and do it when everyone is wandering around the school searching for that secret entrance. At least then, you'll have an excuse if you were off doing something else..."

Tsumugi contemplated Rantaro's proposal, putting a finger to her chin. She eventually let out a sigh and looked away, dejected.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Rantaro nodded, then gave her a smug grin, throwing a finger at the television.

"Besides, the episode isn't over yet."

Tsumugi nodded, and sat back down on the couch. She leaned her head on Rantaro's shoulder in the last couple minutes of their time together. As much as she wanted more, she was relieved that they had a plan now. It was honestly a load off Tsumugi's chest: to have a hope for the future, her future with Rantaro... It was very fulfilling.

But it wouldn't be an easy plan... Monokuma wasn't there to help her anymore... And everything was always planned beforehand... The stress of the situation was building up in Tsumugi's head. One wrong move, and everything would be over.

Rantaro turned off the television just as the show ended, and the room was once again enveloped in silence. Only the lights of Tsumugi's machinery lit the area.

"Welp, I guess that's it, then."

Rantaro got up and held a hand out for Tsumugi, which she took. They stood together in silence, looking at each other.

"Be safe out there. And remember the plan."

Tsumugi nodded, an unlikely aura of confidence emanating from her. However, that all dissipated once she threw her arms around Rantaro and pulled him close. Tears started flowing from her eyes, falling on Rantaro's shoulder.

"Why... Why can't it be easy... Why do we have to do this, now..."

The boy wrapped his arms around her as well.

"I know it's tough... Just stick it out a little bit longer, ok? Everything will be fine. I know it will."

Tsumugi nodded, her head pressed against the boy's neck. After a couple seconds, she pulled away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Yeah... You're right..."

Rantaro put a warm hand on Tsumugi's shoulder and gave her a grin.

"I'll see you later. Get some sleep."

"You too."

Tsumugi turned around and started walking back, to leave the hideout, her stomach still fluttering. Hopefully a good night's sleep would calm her, at least a little bit...


	5. Chapter 5

Tsumugi made her way out of her hideout and through the dimly lit school, walking towards the exit. Her eyes flicked side to side constantly, wary of others discovering she snuck out at night. Thankfully, she made it out of the school unseen.

She stepped out into the courtyard, the brisk night air biting against her exposed skin. She shivered a bit, but then looked upwards.

The campus was barren, the green grass blending into the dark sky. And the stars up there, shining in the night, brighter than the whitest moon. It caused Tsumugi to gape her mouth in awe. It took her breath away.

Naturally, that's why she decided to make the stars like that. More beautiful nighttime scenery caused more students to venture out at night, which indirectly caused more murders. At least, that was her logic before this game... Come to think of it, there was _another_ reason, too... One that was just as questionable, but less relevant...

She began to wonder... Would she and Rantaro actually escape? Would their plan work? Would they survive to see the real night sky, and not just some fake dome designed to keep them in here?

A light sigh escaped her mouth, her eyes twinkling like the artificial stars above her. She longed for that to be true, for it to be easy.

But nothing was ever easy. It was far simpler to just ignore the problem for as long as possible. The stress of achieving perfection... Sometimes it was too much to bear...

Tsumugi needed to act quickly to save them, to guarantee their future together, but every second that ticked closer to that moment made her increasingly nervous and anxious. She at least had the night, but she wasn't looking forward to tomorrow morning at all...

Tsumugi lost herself in those stars, only realizing it after a few minutes. Shaking her head quickly, she stiffened her face. She needed to get in her dorm room, and fast. Lest someone else see that she was out at night. That could be bad.

Hurriedly, the girl walked towards the dorms, her strides as large as she could manage. She reached the door, and grabbed the handle, the metal cold to the touch. Yet, a voice sounded from behind her before she could open it.

"Hey, Tsumugi, what're you doin' out this late?"

Instantly, she froze. Fear overtook her, and her stomach felt like it overturned. She stood there motionless for a few seconds, even forgetting to breath, in the vain hope that the person behind her would just forget about what they saw.

But they wouldn't. Not with the Mastermind still afoot. Simply ignoring them here would lead to more questions, and it'd only cast more suspicion on her.

Of course. Of _course_ her worst fears would manifest now... She had one simple thing to do... And she couldn't even do that without something going wrong... Maybe their plan wasn't going to work out after all...

She began breathing heavily. Despite her current temperament, there still was a chance, as silly as that sounded. But she had to handle this calmly.

Tsumugi turned around, to see Kaito Momota laying there, on the grass next to the dormitories. His arms were behind his head, his jacket draped over the nearest bench.

The girl gave him a fake smile, trying her best to look casual.

"Oh, Kaito... I-I was simply taking a walk, that's all."

The boy squinted his eyes at her, yet he didn't move from his position.

"You sure you aren't the Mastermind? You could've snuck into the hideout."

Tsumugi's eyes widened. She yelled at herself to remain calm, but she had to look away in order to regain her composure.

"No, I'm not the Mastermind. I... I just like walking at night. It sure is nice outside tonight, and quiet, too. P-perfect for a walk..."

Kaito stared at the girl for a few seconds, and surprisingly, the suspecting look dissipated from his face, a friendly smile replacing it.

"Yeah, this night sky is somethin' else, huh?"

Tsumugi took a step towards the boy. As long as he wasn't suspicious of her, it wouldn't hurt to spend at least a _little_ time with him... Right?..

"Yeah... What are you doing out here by yourself, Kaito?"

Kaito grinned widely, shrugging at the girl. His eyes sparkled like the stars above.

"Training, just like I said I would! There's somethin' about that starry night sky that makes a man wanna buckle down and do fifty sit ups!"

Tsumugi shot the boy a glance as she continued walking towards him.

"Um, you don't look like you're training."

Kaito, albeit seeming startled for a second, maintained his composure by averting his eyes.

"Well, I already did all of 'em... Anyways, I was gonna bring Maki Roll along with me, but she wouldn't come. I knocked on her door like ten times and all she ever said was 'Go away'."

Tsumugi chuckled a bit.

"Maki Roll?"

"Yeah, Maki Harukawa. Y'know? The quiet girl in red? She looked like she could use some training, so I thought I'd invite her. It _does_ get a bit lonely training by myself..."

Tsumugi nodded, but before she could turn away, Kaito spoke again.

"Hey Tsumugi, you wanna train with me?"

Training... Tsumugi hadn't done extensive physical activity in forever... She always played the same character in these Killing Games... The Ultimate Cosplayer... She had no need for this before...

Tsumugi looked away, trying to cover the fact that she didn't want to do this, that she wanted to leave as soon as she could.

"I dunno... I better get some sleep"

Yet Kaito waved his left arm at the girl, ushering her down to the ground with him.

"Come on, I think you need it."

Tsumugi gaped at the boy. Did he just...

"A-Are you insulting me? Are you saying that I'm out of shape?"

At this point, Kaito pulled his other hand out from under his head and waved them at the girl defensively, his eyes wide at the accusation.

"Oh no! It's not like that! Just come over here, you'll see."

Tsumugi scowled a bit. As much as she _did_ want to just turn around and leave, there was something captivating about the way Kaito offered to help her... And making alliances never hurt anyone...

The girl sighed quietly and knelt down, taking her place next to Kaito. She shook her head. Why'd she have to make her characters so damn charming...

"Ok, but only for a little bit."

Kaito beamed as he saw Tsumugi approach him, his smile lighting up his face.

"Great! Sit down next to me, just like I'm doing."

Tsumugi laid on the ground next to the boy, her legs propped up in a similar manner.

"Ok, what now?"

"Now do fifty sit ups!"

Tsumugi's eyes widened. As much as she hated to admit it, she _was_ out of shape. Did the boy seriously expect her to do that many on her first try?

"Um, Kaito, that's a lot for plain old me. I haven't done sit ups in months."

Kaito continued to grin, maintaining his nonchalant composure.

"Well, that's fine, just do as many as you can."

"Ok..."

Tsumugi felt a pang of relief at the boy's statement. She laid there for a few seconds, and then focused her eyes and took a deep breath, prompting her to begin. She curled her body upwards, and then back down again.

 _Ok, that's one_ , she thought. _Just forty-nine more._

As Tsumugi continued to do sit ups, Kaito laid there, staring up at the sky again. He began monologuing to himself.

"Just imagine someday, we'll be out there... We'll break through that sky, we'll escape from this earth, and venture out into the unknown, into the depths of space. What waits for us out there? No one knows. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to go. I know for sure that whatever's out there will be amazing."

The girl wasn't sure if she should acknowledge him or not. She just kept training, getting increasingly exhausted by the second.

After about twenty sit ups, Tsumugi had to take a break. She breathed heavily for a few seconds, then managed to squeeze in a few more, but at that point she felt she was done. Sweat beaded down her face, her abs burned like fire, and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and lay there. Not once in any of her Killing Games did she get _this_ tired...

She eyed the water fountain about ten meters away... Of course, she'd have to stand up to use it...

Tsumugi managed to say a few words to Kaito, taking deep breaths between them.

"Kaito... I... I don't think... I can do any more..."

He didn't even turn towards her to respond, seemingly not noticing her exhaustion.

"Sure you can, all you gotta do is keep tryin'. I believe in you."

Tsumugi faced the boy, who looked at her in response. Her eyes changed into staunch blue gems, and a strand of her hair drooped over her face.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't do any more sit ups. This was the extent of her abilities. She'd say anything to get out of this, to get out of enduring this hardship of exercise any longer. It was too painful, too difficult for her. She'd rather just give up now.

Her words were more harsh, begging that Kaito would have mercy.

"Kaito, I haven't exercised this hard in months, please, I can't-"

He interrupted her with calm yet determined words, almost as if he'd been expecting this all along.

"Hey, Tsumugi, don't go sayin' those things. If you keep telling yourself you _can't_ , then you never _can_."

Tsumugi's eyes widened, and a wave of revelation struck her. She paused for a second, understanding the implications of his statement.

She didn't realize it before, but this was _exactly_ the same feeling she had earlier, when she was staring at the stars. When she told herself that all she wanted to do was sleep and ignore reality's difficult problems.

Come to think of it... Maybe _that's_ why she went into show business. Maybe it was soothing to her not to have to make decisions, to have someone else tell her exactly what to do at every waking moment. Because it was by far easier than making mistakes.

Kaito continued to speak as Tsumugi laid there, motionless.

"When you're down, and you want to give up, just tell yourself that you can do this. You can do anything you put your mind to. I know that you can, but _you_ have to be the one to tell yourself."

Tsumugi nodded slowly, growing more resolved by the second. She got back into position, and prepared to do more sit ups.

 _Yes_. _I can do this_ , she thought. _I_ need _to do this._

She spoke the words Kaito mentioned, and a sense of security overtook her.

"I can do this."

Kaito chuckled, and waved a hand at her.

"Come on, I can barely hear you."

Tsumugi sighed, but acquiesced. She hadn't yelled in a long time, but if it'd supposedly boost her confidence, then she may as well. She opened her mouth, and screamed the words again.

" _I can do this!_ "

She now understood why Kaito yelled so much. There was an empowering feeling behind it, behind yelling your lungs out and not having others around to judge you. It made her even more determined then she was before.

"That's better! Now go finish those sit ups."

Tsumugi continued doing sit ups, pushing through her tiredness and exhaustion.

She could do it. She could rescue Rantaro, she could leave this Killing Game with him. She wouldn't fail - no, she _couldn't_ fail. Because she could do it.

These thoughts continued to motivate Tsumugi as she trained, moving even quicker than she was before.

 _Just imagine someday, we'll be out there... We'll break through that sky, we'll escape from this earth, and venture out into the unknown..._

 _What waits for us out there? No one knows. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to go. I know for sure that whatever's out there will be amazing._

 _I will escape with Rantaro. And we will be happy. No matter what. Because I can do this._

Tsumugi finished her fiftieth sit up, and collapsed to the ground, exhausted, yet satisfied. Her chest rose and fell in long spurts as she gasped for breath. She turned back towards Kaito, giving him a friendly smile, expressing her gratitude.

His grin was wider than before, and on his face was the same satisfaction.

"I knew you could do it, Mugi. I think that's enough for today. I'm gettin' pretty tired."

"Yeah... Me too..."

The boy practically jumped off the ground, standing up in a matter of seconds, with the vigor of someone fully rested. He wiped the grass blades off his shirt quickly, then held a hand out to Tsumugi to help her up.

She took his hand and pulled on it to stand up herself, nodding to Kaito in acknowledgement. He gave her a thumbs up and a wink in response.

"Keep your head up. We'll find the Mastermind and get out of here before you know it."

"You're right. We will."

Kaito jogged over to the bench to retrieve his jacket while Tsumugi started walking back to the dormitories. The two waved to each other as Kaito ran into the building before her.

"Night, Mugi!"

"Night..."

Tsumugi felt extremely tired, but it felt different than before. She felt strangely contented and empowered after Kaito's training, but was physically exhausted - completely opposite of what she was feeling previously. She'd wanted to lay in bed and bottle up her fears instead of facing them head-on - but that was all in the past now. She knew she would succeed - and telling herself that was the first step to actually doing so.

Tsumugi paused at the door of the dormitory again, and gripped the handle. It's coldness was the least of her concerns at this point. But before she thrust the door open, she looked upwards at the stars one last time.

 _The second reason I made the stars shine so brightly in this Ultimate Academy... Was because of Kaito himself... They'd serve as a motivating force for his character, one who wanted to travel into space as the Ultimate Astronaut... And one who secretly had a terminal illness, which would limit the amount of time he had to achieve that goal... But who knew both him and those stars would end up motivating me instead..._

Tsumugi chucked to herself, playfully nodding her head. Just because all of this was made up didn't make the experience any less real to her.

Rantaro was right all along. Fiction _can_ change reality.


	6. Chapter 6

Tsumugi never slept so soundly in her life.

The late-night workout with Kaito left her exhausted. Her abs were still sore from yesterday... They'd probably be like that for another couple hours...

But she definitely didn't regret it. Training gave her the confidence she needed to get out of her funk. Even if she could execute everything else perfectly... If she wasn't confident in herself - the others would find out the truth sooner or later. That much, Tsumugi knew.

Stretching her arms, she sat up in her bed. It had deep red sheets, as did her pillow. In fact, the entire theme of this room was red; the door, the chair, even the carpet were all emblazoned with the cherry color. Tsumugi had a dedicated designer to work on the styling for these rooms, and she thought they turned out pretty nicely. Even the male dorms looked good, despite their dull, grey theme. Naturally, they'd switch up the design for every Killing Game.

However, one thing did stay the same. The size of the room. The first two Killing Games didn't have large rooms at all, so Tsumugi decided she'd continue the tradition. Her room was just big enough to fit the necessary amenities, as judged by Team Danganronpa. That included a modest bathroom, a small closet filled with duplicates of the student's uniform, a single bed, a desk, and a lone couch seat directed towards a TV screen and a small dresser. Not to mention the large speaker set attached to the ceiling that Monokuma uses for the announcements...

Tsumugi actually liked the size of the room. It wasn't too large, or too small. At least, for one person. Her mind shifted to think of Rantaro, who was forced to remain in the Mastermind's Hideout until they found him... Hopefully her anime collection would keep him busy enough...

Her abs flared up in pain, instantly thrusting her back to reality. She'd have to watch her movements today, lest that happened again... But even so, it felt satisfying to work so hard... She should do this more often. Placing a hand on her lower back for support, she slowly stood up and waltzed over to her bathroom to get ready to greet another beautiful day.

At least, she hoped it would be. The others would probably be outside by now... They planned to meet at 8 am sharp to discuss searching for an entrance to the Mastermind's hideout. Instinctively, Tsumugi's eyes flitted towards the clock on her wall.

 _7:55 am_

Her eyes widened; being as cooperative as possible was a necessity for this plan. She wouldn't want them suspecting her simply because she was late.. Hurriedly, she rushed to take a shower and get dressed.

Throwing on her clothes and quickly running a comb through her hair, she ran out the door just as the clock struck 8. The entry area was simple; eight dorms on the top floor, and eight dorms on the bottom. She decided to keep the grey color for this room as well. Thankfully, the exit was only a few steps away; planned so she could slip out and back in undetected, important for a Mastermind. Tsumugi's heels clicked on the metal flooring as she strode towards the door. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and exited the dormitory.

"Good morning, Tsumugi!"

Tsumugi practically jumped as a female voice greeted her, not even two steps outside the building. Turning in that direction, she saw a tannish girl with yellow-white hair. She sported a yellow coat, although she wasn't wearing anything underneath except a white bra and bikini. With a face that practically emanated cheerfulness, the girl's smile shone brightly, almost outdoing the dome's artificial sun.

Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Painter. Tsumugi remembered working on her character... Someone so dedicated towards the god Atua that she neglected her own feelings and ambitions...

It was quite interesting to think of her original creations as real people. Seeing them, interacting with them, as if they were human beings and not just simply actors in Mastermind Tsumugi's Ultimate Despair-Inducing Play.

They may be fiction, but they're real people, too. Even in this world, where their purpose was to kill each other. Ever since Rantaro opened her eyes, Tsumugi has been seeing her classmates differently, in a way that she never did before. It was refreshing, she thought.

"Oh, good morning, Angie. Is everyone here yet?"

Angie looked away and struck a thinking pose, the end of her paintbrush against her chin as she scanned the area.

"Ohh, I dunno! From what it looks like, only Ryoma is missing. I sure hope he's not the Mastermind!"

Tsumugi chuckled nervously, "I'm sure he isn't. He probably just overslept..."

Although overbearing at times, Angie's overall intentions were never really bad. Unless, of course, she was asking for a blood donation to Atua...

Tsumugi decided to join the others before the girl _did_ ask for such a donation, waving for her to follow. The faux sun outside was as bright as ever, contrasting against the painted blue sky. Yellow-green grass blades - the only thing natural about this environment - danced back and forth in the simulated breeze. As much as this all was a lie, Tsumugi couldn't help but find it appealing.

The students were arranged in a circle near the benches across the brick path, a few of them sitting down. They were apparently discussing something very intently. Intently enough to make Kokichi cry, which always caught Tsumugi off guard.

"BUT I WANNA GO WITH MOOOOOM!"

Shuichi responded awkwardly, looking away from the boy.

"B-but Kokichi, Kirumi already has Korekiyo as a partner. We already agreed to search the school in pairs of two, so we don't leave anyone unattended..."

Joining in, Korekiyo presented his argument as well.

"Yes. Kirumi and I will have a nice conversation about the current state of worldly affairs such as politics and business. Topics someone such as yourself could not provide valuable input on."

A switch seemed to have been flipped in the boy's brain. Kokichi instantly stopped crying, as he walked towards Shuichi with a playful look.

"Then why don't I go with Shuichi? We can use those cameras to take more selfies!"

Shuichi hid himself in his hat, his cheeks reddening.

"B-But I'm-"

Thankfully, Kaede bailed him out, asserting herself to Kokichi.

"Shuichi is going with me, we already decided this. Kokichi, why don't you pick someone who doesn't have a partner?"

Throwing his hands behind his head and looking around, Kokichi estimated how much more mayhem he could cause. His eyes fell onto Himiko for a few seconds, but the girl was quickly snatched up by Tenko, a scowl appearing on her face.

Not wasting a second, Kokichi's eyes darted towards Keebo, his face not even turning to look at the boy.

"Hey, do robots have-"

Miu Iruma interrupted him this time, stepping towards the robot and grabbing his hand.

"Hell no! I'm going with Keebo, and that's final. I'm the only one who gets to mess with the robot!"

Albeit with a reddening face, Keebo couldn't help but agree with her.

"Honestly... I would much rather go with you than with Kokichi, anyways..."

Miu smirked, and she started stroking Keebo's arm slowly.

"Yeah, that's right... I'll make sure to give you some _upgrades_ later, ok?"

"U-upgrades?"

Keebo was startled, but Tsumugi didn't focus on the robot. Instead, her eyes rested on Kokichi, who was standing in the center of the circle now.

Nervousness overtook her. She absolutely, positively did _not_ want to pair up with Kokichi. If there was anyone who would cause her to slip up, it would be him. It was best to stay away for the time being... But who would be her partner...

Tsumugi looked around and hurriedly tried to pick who would be the best partner, out of the people remaining... Kaito? They _did_ train together last night... Or maybe Gonta?.. How about-

As she was searching, Kokichi made eye contact with her. A grin appeared on his smug, little face as if he was the devil incarnate.

Oh no. Tsumugi froze, the gears in her head slowing to a halt as well. The sinking feeling in her stomach would've amounted to much more if she had this encounter yesterday...

Suddenly, Tsumugi felt a hand wrap around her left arm. That hand swiftly raised it up high, volunteering her for something. Looking in that direction, she saw it was the hand of Angie Yonaga.

"I would like to be Tsumugi's partner!"

Tsumugi was definitely shocked, not to mention a bit uncomfortable; A reddish blush appeared on her face. But she was appreciative of the girl's forwardness. Angie was probably one of the better ones to pair up with, to be honest...

"Yeah, that's fine with me... So that leaves Kokichi, Kaito, Gonta, and Maki..."

As Kokichi debated between the last three, Gonta couldn't help but speak up.

"Um, Gonta does not have partner yet..."

Kokichi eyed the man and gave him a sly smile.

"Oh, you're right, Gonta! In that case, I'll pick... Maki!"

"No."

The girl instantly responded with a single word, as if driving a dagger into the boy's heart.

"I'd rather kill him than be anywhere near that idiot."

As if waiting for Maki, Kaito decided to speak up. He gave the girl a friendly look as he waved at her. Come to think of it, he _did_ want to train with her yesterday...

"Hey, Maki, you'll pair up with me, right?"

She sighed and looked away from him.

"I was thinking of searching alone... But if I'm required to be with someone, then you'll do."

"Good choice! It'll be fun searching together!"

Kaito's grin lit up his face as he patted Maki on the back. Giving a slight pout, she responding quickly.

"Whatever..."

"So that means Gonta's partner is Kokichi? Gonta is fine with that."

Kokichi walked over to the towering man. He grinned widely.

"Well, the joke's on you guys, because Gonta's the one I wanted to pair up with anyways. When the Mastermind comes to kill you guys, don't come crying to me that you didn't have someone big and strong to protect you! Neeheehee!"

Kaede rolled her eyes at the boy. Nevertheless, she walked towards him, as she began giving every group a card.

"I separated the school into sections listed on these cards so we don't search the same areas. And remember, everyone, we're meeting back in the Library at 5pm tonight."

A slight fear gripped Tsumugi as she heard this. She needed to search upstairs in order to create the flashback light. But with Kaede's strategy, the chance of them searching there was low. Why did Kaede have to be so damn organized...

Yet, Tsumugi swallowed her fear and regained the confidence she had yesterday. Nothing could stop her. Nothing was _going_ to stop her. If she didn't get the right card, she'd just have to find another way.

"Any questions?"

Kokichi raised his hand and jumped about like an eager little schoolboy, but Gonta knew his question wouldn't be a good one. Slowly reaching out, he pushed Kokichi's hand down.

"Ok, let's head out-"

"Sorry I'm late..."

Ryoma Hoshi appeared from the dormitories, holding his hat and walking towards the group. Keebo gave him a smile as he approached.

"Oh, Ryoma! My apologies, we seem to have forgotten about you? This does mess up our numbers, but surely we can have a group of three."

The first to speak up was Kirumi, holding a warm hand towards the boy.

"Ryoma can join our group. I'm sure Korekiyo wouldn't mind."

He responded swiftly, throwing up a finger.

"You are quite correct, my lady. If you're ready, Ryoma, we can head out now."

The boy gave a nonchalant shrug as he joined the two of them.

"That's fine with me..."

As the first group left, some of the others did as well. Angie began walking, and she waved on Tsumugi.

"Come now, Tsumugi, Atua does not like dilly-dalliers."

Tsumugi nodded and followed her. The girl was practically skipping on her way to the school, the card she held sitting in her coat pocket.

"Angie... Which area are we responsible for?"

"Oh. The gardens! The outdoor area behind the school, and everything around it!"

So they didn't have the area she wanted... Tsumugi took a deep breath and looked around.

Alright... Now which team was searching upstairs... And would they be willing to trade...

 _Kaede and Shuichi would be willing to trade cards, right?_

She watched the two of them, listening in on their conversation.

"Shuichi, did anything happen last night?"

"Uh, no... Kirumi, Gonta, and I slept in shifts, so no one could've used that door..."

"That's good. I'm sure you're tired, though..."

"I'll be fine... And besides, it gave me some time to think... About this game..."

"About this game?"

"Yeah... I'm starting to piece together what's happening here... Kaede, you noticed that the morning announcement didn't play, right?"

"Yeah, that _is_ weird..."

"I've got a theory... But I can't confirm it yet. I need more evidence."

"Well, let's look for more evidence! We're searching the Casino and the Love Hotel!"

"The Casino and the... Love Hotel?"

"Yep! Let's go!"

Kaede grabbed Shuichi and together they made their way to the concrete walls that housed the two buildings. Their friendship was like a ray of sunlight, and Tsumugi revelled in the fact that _her_ characters were growing closer together... But she shouldn't be wasting time. The girl shook her head and brought herself back to reality.

Tsumugi was a bit worried about Shuichi, but she dismissed it. Shuichi needed more evidence, and he wouldn't _find_ any more evidence. Anyways, it seemed that these two didn't have the card Tsumugi was looking for... She needed to ask someone else...

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Miu and Keebo, who were standing still. They seemed to be discussing something before their investigation. Tsumugi approached them, but motioned to Angie not to interrupt.

When she got closer, she saw that Keebo was indeed holding the index card that said "Upstairs". She'd have to get them to trade... But simply asking them out of the blue wasn't the right strategy... Tsumugi decided to wait her turn again.

"Miu, this is something I probably should've told the entire group... But do you remember what I was talking about last night?"

Miu scowled and looked away, a strand of hair falling in front of her face. She blew upwards to throw it in another direction.

"You mean how there's some voice inside your head telling you things?"

The robot seemed embarrassed at this, but continued speaking.

"Um, yes... But-"

Miu gave the boy a slight smirk, her face getting red as well, her voice shifting to a much softer tone.

"That's normal when in the presence of a beauty like me. Whatever that voice in your head is telling you to do, just do it. I... I won't stop you..."

Keebo held out a hand to the girl, letting out an exasperated gasp.

"Miu, w-wait! That's not it!"

"Huh? It's not?"

Tsumugi was honestly entertained by Miu. She'd never written a character _this_ expressively lewd. She wondered how the fans would receive her, and she did debate changing her character, but she decided that too much fanservice wasn't really a bad thing. Besides, the more time people spent paying attention to Miu, the less time _she_ would be in the spotlight. And for the Mastermind, that was a good thing.

"No! Do you remember how I said the voice told me something about the Mastermind?"

"You're sayin', you know who the Mastermind is? Bull _shit_!"

"Well, what I _do_ know is that Rantaro isn't the Mastermind. It's just a feeling I got last night... But this morning, I haven't heard from that voice at all... It was always there, in the background... Yet I can't even sense it today..."

"I dunno, maybe it was just a short circuit or somethin'. I'll need to look at your insides to get a better _feel_ for the situation..."

Miu reached for the robot with greedy hands, but Keebo grabbed her wrists and pushed them down.

"Miu... Not right now... This is important... I have a feeling that the Mastermind turned off that voice... Whatever it is..."

"Huh?..."

"I'm saying that the Mastermind went into their hideout last night and flipped some switch to disable the voice because they thought it was too dangerous. This also pairs well with the fact that the Monokuma morning announcement did not play this morning..."

Miu folded her arms underneath her breasts, and she tapped her left foot. She shook her head at the boy, a scowl reappearing on her face.

"I dunno, you're actin' prettttty suspicious to me..."

"Miu, trust me on this... That voice is on our side, I promise..."

Tsumugi silently acknowledged Keebo's theory. The robot _was_ right, after all; he'd be a much more formidable enemy than she thought...

But it wasn't time to act afraid. She needed to switch investigation assignments as if her life depended on it, and now was as good a time as any to ask.

"Um, Keebo, sorry to interrupt... But I have a question, if you don't mind..."

The two of them turned towards Tsumugi. Next to her, Angie eagerly swayed from side to side. Miu kept that scowl on her face, since two women were interfering with her time with Keebo.

"What do _you_ want, tits-for-brains?"

Tsumugi gasped at the apparent insult, but Angie took it in a different light.

"Oh! What a wonderful compliment, Tsumugi! She's saying your brain is very large! Larger than yours, Miu."

Now it was Miu's turn to gasp. Tsumugi didn't know how to respond, but thankfully she didn't have to. Keebo naturally continued their conversation, as if nothing ever happened.

"Anyways, Tsumugi, what did you want?"

Ok... Tsumugi shook off the girls' comments and focused herself. Just ask him to trade... And give him _that_ reason... Act natural, and everything will be fine...

"Keebo, I noticed your team was assigned to search upstairs... I was wondering if you'd trade with plain ol' me... Last night, I spent some time training with Kaito, and I'm still sore. My assignment is the gardens, which covers a lot of ground. I'd prefer to walk as little as possible. I apologize to make such a request..."

As expected, Keebo took her request seriously, taking some time to think, while Miu's mind wandered elsewhere. She began shivering and she looked away.

"T-training, you say? You and Kaito? Oh, tell me _all_ about it. I'd _love_ to make it a threesome next time..."

Tsumugi's face turned bright red, and she almost regretted giving Miu her character. Her viewers would probably be snickering at her right now...

That was another issue entirely. Her viewers. These people are dedicated Danganronpa fans, dedicated enough to sacrifice themselves in order to physically play in these Killing Games.

Would they simply accept Tsumugi's retirement? Would they accept the premature ending of this Killing Game? What would the backlash be for Team Danganronpa?

Well, that was something that didn't affect her current situation. She could handle that later. She needed to actually _succeed_ first...

"Keebo, will you do it? You and Miu have a lot more stamina than someone like me..."

"It is a quite peculiar request... But I'll accept. It doesn't matter where we search, as long as we do it in groups."

Tsumugi gave the robot a genuine smile. Her expressions _did_ seem a bit different now, compared to earlier...

"Thank you, Keebo."

Tsumugi held out her card, which she procured from Angie, and exchanged it with Keebo's. The robot gave her a grin as their eyes met for a second - which was promptly interrupted by Miu. The girl threw a finger at Tsumugi.

"Hey! First Kaito, and now Keebo? You... You're a-"

Suddenly, Angie weaved her head between the two girls, a devious yet cheerful expression appearing on her face. She looked at Miu, her head tilted sideways.

"Now now, Miu, no need to say it! Atua thinks jealousy is no reason for name calling."

Miu was again at a loss for words at Angie's comeback. She simply scowled and strutted off, yanking Keebo by the arm. Tsumugi was very thankful for being partnered up with someone like Angie... Someone who was more assertive than herself...

"Tsumugi, let us go. The faster we finish searching, the more time we can spend praying to Atua!"

The girl clasped her hands together and beamed, her expression warm and inviting.

"Yes, let's go."

The two of them started walking to the school building, the smile never leaving Angie's face. Yet, Tsumugi knew what she was like underneath that... She was the only one who did... The only one who could help her...

Tsumugi made eye contact with the girl for a second. Angie seemed startled for a second, but then widened her smile to cover it up.

Angie Yonaga was a fictional character, yes. But what she was feeling was real. Forcing someone, anyone, to go through that was torture. Tsumugi knew this firsthand...

Hm... She _did_ have some time to spend with Angie today...

Maybe reality could change fiction, too...


	7. Chapter 7

Tsumugi and Angie walked slowly towards the looming school building, its tan exterior rising for six stories. At its top rested a metallic dome - unusual for a school, but Tsumugi decided to include it anyways. Especially because she had an Ultimate Astronaut this time around. Having their lab be the highest point in the area; It was motivational, she thought.

With a click, her heels drifted off the smooth, overgrown grass and onto the paved pathway that led to the building's entrance. The yellowish bricks showed signs of wear, yet they remained in place. Of course, Tsumugi and her team made sure of that. Everything was for a certain aesthetic. For the viewers' pleasure.

Tsumugi looked downwards at her sluggish feet and clenched her fists. What would the viewers think of the events that transpired so far? And what would they think of their current plan? Searching for signs of a secret passage that the Mastermind could use to get in and out of their hideout was common in Danganronpa, but for some reason it felt... _different_ this time...

Well... She didn't have to worry about that now. She got pretty lucky to be investigating the second floor - where she needed to go as a part of _her_ plan. As she was confident that no one would find the secret switch in the women's bathroom on the first floor, Tsumugi was only concerned about building the flashback lights necessary to erase everyone's memories of this Killing Game. Only then could she and Rantaro live in peace together.

As they approached the school, Tsumugi followed the footsteps of Angie Yonaga, her partner for her search. The girl was practically skipping at this rate, her yellow coat waving to and fro with her motions. White hair bobbed back and forth, and Tsumugi lost herself in watching the girl.

Angie stopped in front of the door, and turned back to check on Tsumugi. On Angie's face was a wide grin, one that shone like the sun itself. Tsumugi couldn't help but smile back at her... But why...

From a glance, the smile looked real, genuine. But since Tsumugi knew the truth, the hidden darkness behind that mask, she knew to look closer. And once her eyes opened to that fact, seeing Angie's desperation was as clear as the moon on a cloudless night.

"Are you ready, Tsumugi?"

She put a hand on one of the tall, stone pillars that rested a few feet from the door. It was cold to the touch, but very smooth. The girl used it to push herself forward, following Angie.

"Yeah."

Angie held the door for Tsumugi, and both of them entered the building. The entryway was open, various shades of blue metal lined the floors and walls. Benches wrapped the square atrium, and a television machine stood in the back, to both monitor and inform the students.

Tsumugi held up her pace, as to walk next to the white-haired girl. She looked at her, and Angie returned the glance, the pain beneath her expression even more visible at this point.

She had to do something... She was the only one who _could_ do something... But what should she say...

"Angie, do you think we'll find the mastermind's hideout?"

The girl clasped both her hands together and let out a rehearsed laugh.

"Of course! Atua will guide my hand!"

"Um... you sure seem to rely on Atua a lot."

"As one of Atua's priests, He naturally grants me the power to spread His word, and He protects me so I can do so."

The two of them turned left, towards the stairs that led to the second floor. Along the way, sprouts of grass could be seen growing from the floor, and flowers grew in some places as well. It contrasted greatly with the pink, polka-dotted stairs that stood before them. Tsumugi turned towards the girl as she ascended.

"So... You're not scared of the Mastermind?"

"Nope! I have divine protection!"

"I dunno... That seems a little far fetched to me..."

"Tsumugi, that's what a nonbeliever would say... I'm sure if you prayed to Atua along with me, you would understand. And it would help us very much during our investigation! Nyahaha~"

Tsumugi sighed and looked away... She was taking Atua way too far...

"Maybe later... Plain ol' me just doesn't get how putting blind faith in a god is a good thing..."

"Atua won't help if you're not entirely devoted, silly. Abandoning all else and believing in Him is the only way!"

Tsumugi nodded, yet remained silent for a minute. This god that she was devoted to... Atua... It was just a mask. A mask that Angie put on to hide her true feelings, to ignore everything that was happening around her, to not have to worry about anything. And as much as focusing on something that gave you pleasure was a good thing, too much of it can cause someone to practically go crazy.

Just like Tsumugi realized herself. It took fifty seasons of Danganronpa for her to learn that she was the same... That she was hiding behind a mask herself... A mask of Despair... And she shoved aside anything that came in between them. Thankfully, Rantaro realized this and snapped her out of her trance. He pulled off her mask, and now, she's seeing clearer than ever.

It was about time she did the same to Angie.

The two of them reached the top of the stairs, and walked towards the classrooms at the end of the hallway. The grass sprouted taller on this floor, but otherwise, not much was different from the one beneath them. The windows were still barred with the same metal rods, the same barbed wire.

Tsumugi stopped as they approached the first classroom. This was the one she needed to investigate as early as possible. She pointed at the door.

"Let's check this one first."

"Alright. Atua says it's fine with Him."

Tsumugi opened the door, and revealed an ordinary classroom, complete with dusty, red desks, an unkempt blackboard, and some dull, worn out lockers. She approached a desk and ran her finger across its slick surface, dirtying it. Tsumugi took a deep breath in and unleashed it at the object, causing a small cloud of dust to emerge.

Searching this room wouldn't take too long... She just had to make sure she searched _one_ particular spot...

"I'll start looking at these desks. Can you investigate the lockers and everything else around the room?"

"Of course!"

Angie skipped slowly towards the blackboard and started examining it with curious eyes, like a child in a candy store, even going so far as to pick up pieces of chalk. However, Tsumugi knew the girl wouldn't find anything interesting. The only secret in this room was a hidden switch on the underside of the center desk, which rendered a holographic keyboard.

Which gave her remote access to her computer. So she could make Flashback Lights.

And even better, the keyboard would disappear as soon as the door opened. So she wouldn't get caught off guard while creating one of these lights. After fifty seasons of Danganronpa, they really thought of everything...

Tsumugi walked around the desks slowly, running her hands against the bottoms and insides. Most of the desks were empty, but some had a few supplies lying about, pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers, and various other materials. Nothing in the least bit suspicious.

After winding her way up and down two rows, she turned her focus back up to Angie, who strangely didn't move from her position at the blackboard. She was apparently drawing something with the chalk-

"Angie... Is that?"

Angie turned around, a somewhat startled look on her face. After a second, she understood, and stepped to the side, her lips widening into a grin.

It was an almost perfect replica of Tsumugi's face, in her 'thinking' pose... Well, as perfect as one could get with simple chalk... The colors, the lines, everything... And it didn't even take ten minutes...

"Nyahaha~ What do you think?"

Tsumugi stared in awe at the drawing. Partly because of its beauty, but also partly due to the fact that this girl's talent was fabricated. Team Danganronpa's technology was so advanced that it could implant abilities into anyone... Even abilities as abstract as being a master artist...

Even so, this girl's talent wasn't fake. It's origin may have been, but right now, it's reality.

Just like her unhealthy obsession with a nonexistent god.

Tsumugi finally mustered up the willpower to say something, slowly raising a hand to her heart.

"Angie, it's beautiful..."

"Atua inspired me to draw it. He said it would motivate you."

"Yeah... Let's do our best searching this place... Um, have you inspected the lockers yet?"

"Nope! Atua's telling me to do that now."

Angie dropped her chalk, wiped her hands off, and then skipped on over to the lockers, opening each of them, one by one. She peeked her head in and looked around in exaggerated motions. Tsumugi could only giggle, continuing her search.

It wasn't long before the two of them finished their investigation of the room, coming up empty-handed. Exactly as Tsumugi planned. She let out a fake sigh as she addressed the painter.

"Nothing, huh..."

"Nope! There are still more rooms to check, though! I am certain we will find something!"

Angie strode towards the exit, yet Tsumugi was a bit slower. She took a few steps, putting some slack in her movement. Within a second, she fell to the ground, appearing as if she passed out. She tried to catch herself on a desk, but it was a vain attempt to create more noise.

Now to execute the next phase of her plan...

Angie heard this, and ran over to the girl.

"Tsumugi, are you all right?"

"Yeah... Looks like plain ol' me spent so much time exercising yesterday... I think I'll need some rest..."

Angie nodded, and helped the girl up to sit at a desk - specifically the center desk, since Tsumugi placed herself perfectly in the room to access the keyboard without moving.

"Yes, if you are not feeling well, let us rest. I will pray to Atua for your well-being!"

Tsumugi turned away. She _had_ to get Angie away from this room...

"Knowing me, I might have to rest for a while... I'm not sure we'll finish searching before the time limit... It might be better if you just searched without me..."

"Are you sure? I could be the Mastermind."

Angie stared at Tsumugi with a devilish expression on her face. With the eyes of someone truly possessed...

Tsumugi responded with resolve, returning the stare with a quick nod.

"...I trust you. I don't think you're the Mastermind."

After a few seconds, Angie instantly put on a smile, the sun appearing from behind the clouds.

"Ok, Tsumugi, I shall search on my own. Bye-onara!"

"Ok, come back here when you're done."

Angie gave Tsumugi a long wave as she exited the room, still as bubbly as ever. God, even if _she_ was the one who fell on her face, her expression would be no different...

Tsumugi's head hurt, her elbows were banged up, and dust soiled her clothes. Thankfully, it was nothing major. But it _was_ something... The girl brushed herself off and flipped the switch under her desk to reveal the keyboard. A little pain wouldn't stop her. Not today.

Within seconds, she began typing like a madwoman, almost as if she was the Ultimate Programmer. She needed to make good time in order to finish these lights, as they were more complicated than a typical Flashback Light.

The Flashback Light was another cutting-edge device created by Team Danganronpa. As the name implies, it implants "memories" into the recipient's brain, causing them to experience a "flashback". However, the name was carefully chosen to mask these fake, implanted memories as events that the students have forgotten. All to make them believe the storyline for a particular Killing Game.

There was a specific reason that Tsumugi couldn't use one of these lights. And that was because they couldn't erase memories. They could only add new ones. Tsumugi knew full well that adding something _else_ onto this already confusing Killing Game would make the students even less willing to cooperate... So a Flashback Light was out of the question.

She needed a Blackout Light. This was the direct opposite of a Flashback Light - it had the power to erase memories, but not create them. Team Danganronpa used Blackout Lights to wipe the students' memories before they participated in a Killing Game, making each of them a clean slate. And, in special cases, they allowed Blackout Lights to be used in the game. It normally never came to that, but this time, it did.

Normal Flashback Lights only took about a minute to compile. A physical flashlight would be created, dropping into a locker in this very room. She'd leave Monokuma to pick it up and be on her merry way. But since Blackout Lights erased entire chunks of memory, as opposed to adding one little piece, their compile time was anywhere from a hundred to a thousand times slower.

It wasn't really an issue for Tsumugi, though. There wasn't a reason to investigate this room twice, so the light would be resting safely in the locker until the nighttime, when she'd unsuspectingly retrieve it. Then, all she'd have to do was whip it out at the morning meetup and activate it - and her plan would be complete.

Her new future with Rantaro was so close... So close, she could almost taste it... She began daydreaming... A life without Danganronpa... A normal life, doing things normal people do... Without Despair to interfere...

She snapped herself out of it. She wasn't there yet. It was best not to let her guard down.

After a good twenty minutes of typing, she slammed the enter key and hid the keyboard. Now, all she had to do was wait... Tsumugi slouched in her chair, letting out an extended sigh. Her head drooped, and her eyes did as well...

This was all... So tiring...

Normally, she felt so invigorated when executing her plans... But this time was different... She's been feeling so much pressure lately... Almost like her head was going to explode... Why was that?

After thinking for a few minutes, she came to the realization that this time, it wasn't just another game. She wasn't acting as someone else, either. She was working towards her own future, her own freedom. And this was the one time that she _couldn't_ mess up...

No. She _wouldn't_ mess up. She was so close... Just a little bit further...

Anyways, there was nothing more to be done here. It wouldn't hurt to get some rest now... Before things start to pick up again...

Tsumugi laid her arms out onto the desk before her, and rested her head on top of them. Slowly, her eyes closed, and the tiredness got the better of her as she drifted off to sleep, her blueish hair falling over her face.

...

 _SLAM_

"Nyahaha~ Tsumugi, I finished searching!"

Tsumugi practically jumped out of her seat, hearing both the door and Angie's voice. Her glasses dangled from one ear, offsetting themselves from the sudden motion. Tsumugi righted them as she watched the yellow-tan blob walk closer to her from the classroom entrance.

The first thing Tsumugi looked at was the clock on the front wall. How long had she been out?

4:50pm.

Really - that long? Wow... She was lucky no one barged in on her this entire time...

Angie parked herself in front of the girl with a bounce, triggering Tsumugi's response.

"Oh... Did you find anything?"

"Nope! Looks like Atua wasn't ready to enlighten me."

Tsumugi looked away, nodding slowly to show acknowledgement. She pushed herself off the desk and slowly rose to stand next to the girl.

"That's too bad..."

"Are you feeling any better, Tsumugi?"

Angie stared at the girl with curious eyes, leaning to one side. It continued to stump Tsumugi as to why she did that...

"Yeah... The rest was just what I needed."

"Nyahaha~ Atua is pleased!"

A few seconds passed before Tsumugi remembered the time, and spoke up again. It was only ten minutes before the group meeting in the Library - and they needed to get there. The earlier, the less suspicious.

"It's getting pretty late... Shouldn't we meet up with the others?"

Angie turned towards the clock, and confirmed the girl's sentiment.

"You're right! Let us go at once!"

Angie started skipping towards the door, and Tsumugi followed her as best she could, her legs taking a few seconds to adjust. She watched Angie from behind, closing in on her as they left the classroom.

She was going to help Angie... Right?.. Isn't that what she decided on?..

Her optimism was great and all... But it was fake optimism... Especially in a situation like this...

As they walked through the hallway and patches of grass scattered about, Tsumugi continually debated it, fighting internally on whether or not she should break character and give this girl a heart-to-heart...

She turned towards Angie, and the girl gave another one of her smiles. The same as they always were... On the outside, it was a shining ray of optimism. But on the inside, it was a cry for help. Tsumugi, of all people, would know.

Maybe it _was_ a bad decision. Maybe it would come back to bite her. But she couldn't just sit around and let this girl suffer.

No more Despair. Not now, not ever...

Tsumugi let out a quick breath, and then stopped her movement. She reached out, and rested her left hand on Angie's right shoulder. The girl's eyes slowly focused onto hers as she turned to face Tsumugi. Her expression was the same curiosity as before...

"Angie, I've been thinking, and there's something I should tell you."

"What is it? Are you finally ready to accept Atua?"

"Angie, please. Just listen."

Angie opened her mouth to speak, but she did as Tsumugi requested. Now, it was time... There was no turning back... Just tell it straight... It'll be fine...

After a deep breath, Tsumugi spoke up, resolve in her eyes.

"I know how you feel... You're hiding behind Atua, aren't you?"

"What on earth are you saying, Tsumugi? Atua helps guide me."

"Even plain old me knows that it's not guidance if you're letting Atua make your decisions _for_ you."

"Are you questioning the will of Atua? His choices are always right."

Angie almost reeled back, her eyes widening at Tsumugi's accusation. This shock... It reminded Tsumugi of her previous Mastermind Trials... In which the students weren't willing to accept the fact that the Mastermind, the one behind the entire Killing Game, was one of them all along... They wouldn't accept the Despair... The Despair of betrayal...

They were in denial. And so was Angie. Hopefully, Tsumugi's experience in these trials would help her here, as getting people to succumb to the inevitable was practically her job...

"When was the last time you made a choice for yourself?"

"My choices are Atua's choices. I am His vessel."

"But you're a person, not a god. And people have different needs than gods do. Right?"

"My needs do not matter. I am here to serve Atua!"

Angie was practically yelling at this point. Her voice echoed down the hallway as if she was in a cave, her tone still just as lively as ever. That faux optimism that Angie always carried with her was like an invisible wall between them, about a foot thick, not letting her through... Tsumugi bashed against it, and although she could feel it bend, it wasn't anywhere near shattering... Part of her wanted to give up, to cut her losses without having revealed anything important or questionable. But the rest of her urged her to continue. To fight the unseen. To show Angie that Hope could conquer all.

Tsumugi needed to break that wall, and she'd do it in any way she could. Because it wasn't just for Angie anymore.

It was for herself.

She countered with a kinder tone, removing her hand from Angie's shoulder.

"Yes, they do. Friendship, love, hope... We all need these feelings..."

"Are you saying I cannot love? I love Atua!"

"Do you really feel love for Atua? I think it's a mask, just like everything else."

"Of course I feel love for Atua. Why do you think otherwise?"

"Because I'm the same as you, Angie."

That was it. That was the _real_ reason why she wanted to help... Because Tsumugi felt the same way... And she had to deal with it for fifty seasons of this show... She'd have given anything for someone to snap her out of her trance during her first season...

As much Despair as she caused, she wanted to make up for it here and now. To counteract these students' Despair with Hope. And in the process, she'd prove to herself that she truly changed.

Because what is Hope without spreading it to others?

Angie seemed to be taken aback. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Her arms lowered themselves, giving her shoulders some slack. This was the first time Tsumugi saw Angie like this, so vulnerable...

She fully expected Angie's speechlessness to only last a few seconds, so Tsumugi had to make the most out of it...

She was able to break a small hole in the wall. And her second strike wouldn't be far behind. Letting out an empathetic sigh, Tsumugi began her speech.

"Being a cosplayer, it's easy to lose yourself in a character. You start to behave the way they do, you start to lose your sense of self. Especially since these characters are much more interesting than someone who's as plain as me... Why would I ever want to go back?"

Tsumugi made sure to mention only her cosplay, as telling Angie that she was the Mastermind wasn't really the best decision. But, Angie hadn't interrupted her yet, so she continued.

"But I learned that you can't live in someone else's shoes. You have to be yourself, make your own decisions, embrace your own feelings, make your own mistakes, and move on. That's how you grow as a person. And that's how you'll find happiness. Not someone else's happiness. Your own."

Tsumugi slowly pointed a finger at Angie, whose greyish eyes were wavering like ripples in a pond. She was frozen in place, eyes wide, as if her soul was suddenly exorcised from her body.

Only it wasn't her soul. It was Atua's.

Tsumugi gave the girl a gentle smile, blinking rapidly to force away the tears in her eyes, although one escaped and ran down her unblemished cheek.

"I'll be here to help you. We all are."

The two girls stood there for a few seconds with nothing else being said, the hallway growing silent. Tsumugi knew that she reached Angie, but the question was whether or not the girl would listen...

The seconds ticked away, and pressure gripped Tsumugi's chest. She held in a breath, in the vain hope that it wouldn't disturb Angie's thinking.

But her fear dissipated as soon as Angie's personality bubbled up again.

"Nyahaha! Well, we have to capture the Mastermind first, don't we, Tsumugi? It seems we're late for the group meeting. Let us hurry!"

Tsumugi let out her sigh as Angie waved her on, the girl turning and continuing her walk towards the stairs, as if nothing ever happened. Based on what she said, Tsumugi assumed she'd reached her, but Angie's actions showed otherwise...

Maybe this was how she expressed herself. Maybe Angie found motivation in Tsumugi's words, and that's why she was still optimistic... Or maybe she just wasn't used to being anyone else yet...

Tsumugi grinned as she followed the girl. Some things never change...

But other things do, even after years... Who ever thought that she'd be helping others fight their own fears instead of causing them...

The pair descended down the pristine, spotted staircase and made their way towards the next set of stairs - the ones that would take them to the basement and the Library, where the group was meeting.

Watching Angie after their conversation brought Tsumugi to a lull, almost as if she was floating in the clouds. There didn't seem to be anything different about her as she happily skipped along, but there was... And knowing that she was the one who helped, gave her empowerment.

She _did_ prove it to herself. She could do anything.

It wasn't long before they descended the next set of stairs as well; coming within a few feet of their meeting spot. They were unfortunately a few minutes late, but Tsumugi would gladly take helping Angie over arriving early. She approached the Library with a spring in her step.

As Tsumugi turned the corner, she saw everyone else, standing next to the bookshelf. They were apparently discussing... something...

Tsumugi almost froze as she comprehended what was happening. This wasn't a discussion... It was an argument... The confidence she expressed earlier completely fizzled, and was replaced with impending doom.

 _Please, not like this..._

Time seemed to slow around her as Angie walked past. Fear gripped her chest; it bubbled up in her stomach like an untimely meal before a roller coaster, constantly prompting her to fall over and faint under the pressure. And as much as she told herself that it would be fine, that she'd be able to make it out of this...

She couldn't possibly believe such lies.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE -**

I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY I had this chapter completed since mid-March but I forgot to post ;-; So this means you're getting a second chapter next week since that's done ;)

Oh man, things are getting interesting, right? What's gonna happen next?

Thanks for reading this chapter guys! I know it's been a while since my last update but I've been really busy. I've also been working on my writing skills and I feel I've grown a lot as a writer in these four months - so I really hope you loved the chapter! I'd appreciate all reviews and follows.

If you'd like more content, and to see what I work on that isn't explicitly writing, check out my profile!


	8. Chapter 8

"We have to break in ourselves. It's the only way. I'll do it myself if no one else wants to help."

Tsumugi was frozen at the entrance of the library. Her bones were locked with fear, threatening to turn her into a statue if she remained still. Keebo was getting increasingly aggressive with the others, and considering people were fighting amongst themselves as well, things did _not_ look good.

"Gonta not understand... Why break down door?"

"Did no one else find anything?"

"Nyeh, we should probably break in... If the robot is telling the truth..."

Everyone's voices slowly formed a cacophony in her mind; too many that she couldn't understand anyone. They grew louder and louder until someone spoke up, yelling at the group to keep quiet.

Kaede Akamatsu stood atop a short bookcase, hands cupped around her mouth.

 _"Everyone, stop!"_

It somehow worked. One by one, the students fell silent, accepting the girl's request and turning towards her. Once all the voices stopped, Kaede jumped down lightly, her pale, yellow hair bobbing about her head. The girl then continued speaking.

"We shouldn't let Keebo's claims get on our nerves. We need to work _together_ to find our way out of this mess. And that starts with taking turns speaking."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but the room stayed quiet. At least until Kokichi stepped forward, raising his hand as high as he could. A playful grin appeared on his face.

"Can I go-"

However, Kaede dismissed him immediately, raising a finger in response.

"No. First, let's hear Keebo's side of the story. He's the one who brought up the plan, after all."

"Oh, ok..."

Kokichi turned around and moped back a few feet, with Keebo taking his place. The robot was standing tall and stiff. His eyes were focused, his expression bitter. It was the first time that Tsumugi saw the robot angry. This surely wouldn't bode well for her...

 _Was turning off his inner voice not enough? Could I have disabled him completely? Was there anything I could've done, to salvage this terrible situation?_

Keebo was like a domino, the first one in the line. Harmless, if remained untouched. But all it took was a light push, and everything could come crashing down, no matter how hard Tsumugi tried to set the pieces up in her favor.

She was still motionless as Keebo nodded towards Kaede and began lecturing the students, pointing to the bookcase in the center of the room.

The bookcase that hid one entrance to the Mastermind's hideout.

"Thank you. As you all know, we spent the entire day searching for the secret entrance to the Mastermind's hideout, which we are sure is behind this door. Accounting for everyone's investigations, I've concluded that we've found nothing. I'm sure you all reached the same conclusion as well. However, there's one other thing we learned today.

"That Monokuma isn't active. He hasn't given us the morning announcement, and he also has not given us that motive he promised. If he's not active, he cannot punish us for rules we break. That means there's no consequence to breaking into the Mastermind's hideout now. And, if we do so, we'd have an easy way of determining the identity of the Mastermind as well. Remember - Rantaro is trapped inside the hideout - and provided he is still alive - he could instantly tell us the identity of his captor."

The robot then turned towards the strongest member of the group - Gonta Gokuhara. He reached out with a warm hand, giving him a smile that someone like him couldn't refuse.

"Gonta, you're with me, right? Let's break down that door together."

Gonta's eyes widened, but they focused on Keebo. He appeared to be thinking about whether to accept or not, but Tsumugi knew. She knew he'd join the robot. It's in his character to be overly nice to people...

Shuichi's voice broke the silence. It was still a timid voice, but one that was growing more confident.

"Keebo, wait one second. Did no one _really_ find anything? Let's go over our results one more time."

"Yes, I haven't made any errors. Miu and I thoroughly searched the gardens, and we have confirmed that no secret passages exist there."

Kirumi, Tenko, and Kaito responded, each of them restating what they reported earlier.

"The first floor is all clean. Korekiyo, Ryoma, and I made sure to examine every room."

"No passages in the courtyard, either. Me an' Himiko looked all over."

"We got this basement covered, too. Maki Roll and I checked everywhere."

Maki's face reddened at that. She shied away as Kaede joined the conversation.

"The Casino and the Love Hotel don't have any passages. I know Shuichi and I did a good job."

At that last comment, Kokichi couldn't help but chime in, his voice sarcastic as usual.

"Ohh, the _Love Hotel!_ Shuichi definitely did a _good job_ in there! You kept that card on purpose, didn't you, Kaede?"

Shuichi immediately hid his face in his hat. Although Kaede did blush a bit, she countered Kokichi's claim.

"Kokichi! No, of course not! Where'd you search, anyways?"

"Oh. Me an' Gonta searched the Dormitories. With my lockpicking skills, I got into all of them. I can guarantee that there's a 0% chance of anyone's Dorms containing a secret passage. Aren't I helpful?"

Gonta could only confirm Kokichi's statement.

"Gonta agree, but Gonta did most of looking. Kokichi mostly play with helicopter toy."

"But Gontaaaa, drones are so much funnnnn!"

Not even a second afterwards, Angie Yonaga's hand shot up, her bright coat shifting. A shiver went down Tsumugi's spine as the girl responded.

"Angie and Tsumugi report nothing suspicious on the second floor!"

Everyone's eyes fell on the girl, yet Angie's beaming grin didn't dissolve. Kaede seemed a bit surprised at her entrance.

"Oh, Angie. When'd you get here?"

"A minute ago. Me and Tsumugi did arrive a bit late."

Angie turned around and pointed towards the doorway, where Tsumugi still stood, not having the energy to enter the room or the awareness that she needed to do so. The students' stares were like a blast of cold air onto an already freezing wanderer. Her breaths grew shorter, and her head began to feel light. Kaede began walking towards the girl.

"Tsumugi, are you ok?"

 _Come on, Tsumugi! Say_ something _!_ Anything! _It's all over if they realize your plan!_

She broke the ice around her right arm, raising it up to her face, scratching her cheek in awkwardly.

"Um... Yeah... I just need to... go to the bathroom. I'll be right back..."

Kaede nodded, and Tsumugi thawed out a bit. Step by step, she made her way towards the stairs and up them, into the dimly lit hallway. Her arms drooped down as if she was a zombie, weak-willed and empty minded.

After reaching the women's bathroom, she slowly pushed the door open. The bright pink wall color and clean, white tiling did nothing for her demeanor. Slowly, she began wandering towards the storage closet, where the secret passageway actually lied.

 _They need to die... All of them..._

 _But even if I reactivate Monokuma, there's no way he'll still listen to me..._

She grabbed the door, and tried to push it open, but her body wouldn't let her.

There was no point. No reason to hide, or to do anything. She may as well just collapse to the floor to die, since they were going to kill her anyways...

Her hand tightened around the doorknob, and she balled her other one into a fist and began banging on the door in a rage.

 _Because I disabled Monokuma, Keebo's going to break down the door to get into my hideout. And once he does, he can turn the audience's voice back on. The audience can tell him the Mastermind. And then I'd die._

 _I'd have to convince him otherwise... But someone like me can't do that... Right?_

 _And besides, even if I did, I'd be going out of character. Which will basically reveal myself as Mastermind. Which resulted in the same thing..._

 _Argh! All I needed was_ one day _... I shouldn't have equipped him with guns in the first place..._

She stopped once she noticed a dull pain in her hand, and after a few breaths, she couldn't help herself. Tears began flowing down her face, dripping quietly onto the tiled floor. She pressed her head against the door, and cried.

 _All of this planning, all of this tension that I've been experiencing... It was all for nothing... All for me to fail... Leave it to plain old me to come up with such a flawed plan..._

She stood there for a few minutes, wallowing in her self-pity. After a while, the tears stopped, and she stepped over to the mirror. She swayed side to side, almost falling over, so she set her hands on the sink to balance herself. She lazily looked at the reflection shown in the glass.

She saw a girl whose eyes were red from crying. Whose hair was messy, whose glasses were off-center. And whose clothes were the same dull shade of blue as everything else...

No matter how much confidence she gained or lost, it didn't matter in the end. It was all fake, all just fleeting moments to get her hopes up so that she could succumb to her own Despair. The cold, hard truth was that she lost.

In that mirror, she saw a failure.

But was that really her?

Now that she thought about it... who _was_ she?

She stared into her eyes, trying to find the answer to that question as if it were written in small letters across the mirror...

Well... she was a cosplayer, who loved putting herself in the shoes of others. She was a Mastermind, who brought about fifty seasons of Despair. She was plain, hiding behind her own insecurity, always having to follow directions.

But most of all... She loved Rantaro. She loved him so much that she couldn't stand to erase his memories before this game. She worked on this plan long and hard so that they could be together.

Was she someone who would just give up?

Images of her encounter with Rantaro in the library flashed back into her head. The things he said to her... He wanted her to break free from all of this, from all of her insecurities, so she could be herself...

 _"You're perfect just the way you are. You don't need to be anyone else."_

And the motivational words of Kaito, just last night... Even the words she herself spoke to Angie...

 _"When you're down, and you want to give up, just tell yourself that you can do this. You can do anything you put your mind to. I know that you can, but you have to be the one to tell yourself."_

 _"You have to be yourself, make your own decisions, embrace your own feelings, make your own mistakes, and move on. That's how you grow as a person. And that's how you'll find happiness. Not someone else's happiness. Your own."_

All this time, she's been forcing her flamboyant, impulsive Mastermind self back, in the fear that if anyone saw it, they'd immediately suspect her. Without that resolve, she couldn't fight against the others. But what would happen if she released her restraints...

If she took all of her learnings from the past few days... All this confidence she's been building... And combined them with her real, hidden personality... She'd grow into someone much stronger.

She might be able to do this.

And if she failed, it didn't matter. At least she'd have given it her all.

She reached down towards the sink and turned the handle, gushing cold water into the drain. She cupped her hands underneath the stream and threw some onto her face. The water stung, but it was refreshing. After wiping her glasses off, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time.

Her eyes were set, her smile fearless. The remnants of what she saw a minute ago were gone - as if a ghost had left her body. Tsumugi took a deep breath and released it.

 _I can do this. All I need is one day... Then I can use my blackout light to erase their memories... As long as I can convince Keebo to wait, then I can turn the tables..._

 _Now, what was the one thing that stopped them from breaking in before..._

She turned around in place and marched towards the bathroom door, throwing the door open. She ran down the hallway, practically jumped down the stairs, and slid over to the library entrance, the tall shelves of multicolored books coming into view.

All of the students were standing near the back, in small groups to the side. However, Keebo was in front of the hideout entrance, his body already transformed. A jetpack extended out of his upper back, and his right arm became a laser gun, capable of destroying almost anything... Including that door...

But Tsumugi wouldn't let that happen. She threw a finger at Keebo, making sure to yell as loud as she could.

 _"OBJECTION!"_

Keebo swiveled around to face the sound, as did the other students. Tsumugi knew none of them were expecting such a yell from someone like her, but it didn't matter. She needed to do this. For herself. For Rantaro. And for everyone else.

Tsumugi began waltzing into the library, her heels clicking in the silence like the ticking of a clock in an empty room. She passed short bookcases overflowing with dusty books, staring at the others, who returned her glances with incredulity. As she stepped within five feet of Keebo, she paused, resting her hands on her hips.

"Tsumugi?"

"Keebo, you don't need to blast away that door."

The robot chuckled nervously, "Uh, did something happen, Tsumugi? You're acting quite strange."

She could tell everyone else expressed the same sentiment - curiosity. And rightfully so - her character change was jarring. But she already thought of an explanation for this - and she wasn't going to wait for the right time. She wasn't going to back down. Not this time.

"I've been thinking... Even though we've only known each other for a few days, we're still friends. So if there's a chance that any of us could die from breaking into the Mastermind's hideout, I don't want to take it!"

Tsumugi could've heard a pin drop in the next few seconds. No one moved a muscle. Keebo eventually folded his arms, addressing the girl with a cold stare.

"Please enlighten me, how would any of us die from doing so? I doubt you'll change my mind, but you can surely try."

This was it. This was the moment of truth. The decisive battle of wits between her and Keebo. One she didn't quite _want_ to happen, but she anticipated anyways.

All these Killing Games, she was forced to take a back seat and watch the others solve each case, so she didn't reveal her true nature as Mastermind. However, during the Mastermind Trial, she'd be the one leading, commanding the lucky survivors to submit to her. Enduring the smaller cases made the finales worth it for her, where she was allowed to argue to her heart's content.

Yet, there was still something that they lacked. Originality. She already knew the outcome of every murder. She had her script to follow whenever she revealed herself. There was nothing new, nothing _unique_ about any of those events...

This was different. To participate in a debate like this, as her true self, with the outcome unknown, gave her strength. Thrill coursed through her veins, the ambient daytime melody, although still playing, was dulled in her mind, being replaced with the lively trial beat.

This was it.

 _Let's get ready for a Class Trial!_


	9. Chapter 9

Tsumugi held a finger up to the robot, adjusting her glasses.

"I don't need to change _your_ mind. All I need is for a majority to be on my side. We're all in this together; so it shouldn't be up to just one person."

"Very well. I presume the same goes for my argument, too?"

"Yes."

The robot nodded, calming down. The gun on his right arm recessed and reverted itself, showing his hand, "I've already made my point. There's no better time to break in."

 _No one knows what's behind that door better than I do. So all I have to do is make them think they'll get punished for entering..._

"On the contrary, " Tsumugi took a deep breath, and released it, "If we break in, then the Mastermind will have access to everything in their hideout. Which means that everyone could get instantly punished for breaking a rule. That the students can't enter blocked off areas."

Keebo threw his hands up in the air almost immediately, "Have you not been listening? Monokuma is inactive. He's been inactive this entire day. We will not get punished for breaking down that door."

"You don't know that for sure. Maybe he's just hiding from us. If no one saw him today, then it's likely that he's behind that door. He _could_ just be waiting for us to mess up..."

"I highly doubt that. Knowing Monokuma, and taking into account his behavior yesterday, I would have expected a new motive by now. However, one has not shown up. Thus, he is most likely disabled."

Tsumugi took another breath and stood her ground. Keebo was right, but she wouldn't let this stop her. There's a lot more where that came from...

"Even so, what if there's a control panel in there? The Mastermind could run up to the control panel and reactivate Monokuma, thus allowing the bear to kill everyone. It's a risk I'm not willing to take."

"But-"

Just as the robot was about to respond, Kokichi slinked out of his group and stood next to him, his wry smile matching his tone.

"But that's just speculation, isn't it?"

"Well... It's just speculation that we won't get punished, too."

Keebo countered, not waiting for Kokichi to respond, "It's not speculation, it's a logical conclusion based on facts. If that's your only argument, then I'm afraid it's not a very good one"

Despite his words, a few students shuffled in place, intently watching Tsumugi. It'd seem like she had a few followers... Although the robot was right, she wasn't done yet.

"Well, there's also the fact that if we blow open the hideout, the Mastermind will have an easier time getting into their hideout. They don't have to sneak around in order to enter."

Gonta nodded, "Oh! Gonta understands..."

However, Miu scowled, "No shit, sherlock! Of course the Mastermind will have an easier time if there's a freakin' hole in the wall! What does that even _mean_?"

"Currently, the Mastermind has to make use of the secret passage in order to get inside. They have to be careful not to be spotted by the others. If we decide to break open the wall, then they won't need to go through those motions. They'll just enter like the rest of us, without any suspicion at all."

Shuichi contemplated the girl's argument, "We'd lose evidence that could help us figure out the Mastermind..."

Keebo responded quickly, a hint of aggression in his voice, throwing fingers at the two of them, "Shuichi, might I remind you that Rantaro surely knows who the Mastermind is. If we break in, we can ask him. All other evidence won't matter. And for you, Tsumugi, your argument is solely based on the fact that the Mastermind currently has a difficult time entering their hideout. Is that even logical?"

 _Not entirely_ , she thought, _But for this argument, yes. Yes it is. It_ has _to be..._

"Yes. What if everyone was watching them too intently that they couldn't slip away? Keep in mind that we searched in groups today for a reason - so the Mastermind couldn't get away unnoticed."

Kaede agreed, "That's true..."

Tsumugi smiled at that. One by one, she'd convince all of them...

Yet, a devilish grin appeared on Kokichi's face. Tsumugi was starting to get tired of him...

"But not at night. Someone could've easily snuck out. We all slept in our own dorms."

Keebo concurred, "In retrospect, that wasn't such a great decision."

"I know! We _totally_ should've had sleepovers! I was gonna sleep with Shuichi!"

"Guh-"

Shuichi hid himself in his hat, his face turning a deep shade of red. Kaede, noticing this, decided to change the subject.

"So the Mastermind could've visited their hideout at night?"

 _I did visit my hideout at night. But I need to come up with a reason why I couldn't have done so..._

 _A reason the Mastermind couldn't have left their dorm room... A reason they couldn't go outside..._

Keebo insisted, "Yes! That's what I'm saying. This entire timeline fits perfectly into place if the Mastermind did-"

 _That's it._

The idea flashed into Tsumugi's head like a bolt of lightning, her eyes widening. She held her breath for a few seconds as she processed it.

 _They couldn't go outside if there was a witness._

 _"No, that's wrong!"_

Tsumugi yelled at the robot, countering his statement with a pointed finger. Everyone practically jumped, being caught off guard.

"The Mastermind couldn't have visited their hideout at night! Because if they did, then Kaito would've seen them. He was training at night, right outside the dormitory."

She turned towards the spaceman, who slowly nodded in agreement, giving her a thumbs-up in approval.

"That's right! I was doing my nightly training routine, fifty situps and fifty pushups! Tsumugi joined me, and we trained together. There was no way anyone could've left from the Dorms."

Kaito looked at Maki, shaking his head, "Maki Roll, you should've joined us, too! It was fun!"

The girl rolled her eyes in response, "Ugh..."

Tsumugi chuckled a bit. She forgot the last time she had this much fun.

 _This feeling, the thrill and tension of pushing yourself to uncover a solution... I've never felt so alive in my life... I'm finally able to release my restraints, and truly play Danganronpa to its fullest. After all, this_ is _the reason I continued the series..._

 _Am I finally like you, Makoto Naegi?_

"Even then...", Keebo continued, "You two weren't there _all_ night, were you?"

Kaito shrunk back a bit, but did answer, "You know what, you're right... I had to sleep, so we both went inside after an hour or so..."

Another voice, Korekiyo's, joined the fray, "So the Mastermind could've still accessed their hideout at night after you two finished, and they'd remain unnoticed."

Tsumugi smirked. She felt like her favorite attorney with all this bluffing.

"Yes - but then, they would've been awfully tired afterwards. Waking up in the middle of the night to visit their hideout... We'd obviously have noticed if anyone hadn't gotten a full night's sleep - we were searching in groups the entire day."

That seemed to have done it. The room fell silent, as everyone looked at each other and muttered. Keebo stood there, taken aback by her statement, eyes widening.

The robot gasped, "That... That can't be right! I fail to believe that! I _know_ that the Mastermind entered their hideout at night!"

"Well, do you have proof?"

"Actually, yes I do. I have solid evidence that supports my claim."

"Well, let's hear it!"

"There are three things that changed between yesterday and today that are clear indicators that some switch was toggled inside that hideout. The first is that there was no morning announcement. The second is that we haven't seen Monokuma all day, and he has failed to give us another motive."

Tsumugi couldn't help herself, "We already discussed that the first two could simply be a trap. Monokuma could've just hidden himself and decided not to make an announcement in the morning."

Keebo glared at her, almost ignoring her response, "The third reason - is that my inner voice was turned off."

Everyone's eyes fell onto the robot, waiting for an explanation. Including Tsumugi's.

"There was a voice inside my head that told me things, important things. It gave me caution and skepticism. It was almost as if it knew the right thing to do. That voice gave me a strong feeling that Rantaro wasn't the Mastermind, and you all agreed with me - including you, Tsumugi. This happened last night; I already explained this.

"However, as I told Miu earlier, I can't hear that voice anymore. It's gone, it's almost like it was turned off. I have a strong feeling the Mastermind decided to do this, so I wouldn't turn against them. I know the voice is on our side, since it was turned off when I needed it the most."

All of what he said was true. She _did_ turn audience participation off. But as far as evidence went, it was Keebo's word against hers. She just had to remind everyone of that fact, and provide the stronger argument. His evidence was purely subjective; to the others, he could just as easily be lying to them. All Tsumugi had to do was prove that something, _anything_ in Keebo's testimony was illogical... And then she'd win this debate. But the question was, _what_...

 _Argh! I'm so close, I can almost taste it! Just this one, last counter... Time to logic dive!_

Time almost slowed to a halt as Tsumugi closed her eyes, synchronizing with her body. Her breathing became slow and calculated; she could almost feel the oxygen flowing through her veins and into her brain, enhancing her comprehension. She began plunging into the depths of her mind for the one lie that'd stop Keebo's argument in its tracks...

 _Let's see... This voice that he's saying helps him... Why couldn't it have been disabled by the Mastermind?.. Keebo is saying that the Mastermind did this to protect themselves so they wouldn't be found out... The Mastermind went to their hideout at nighttime to do so... But I already proved that they couldn't have done that..._

 _Keep it together, Tsumugi... The fact that Keebo is stating is that he has such an inner voice... So I have to prove that this voice doesn't, or shouldn't, exist... But why wouldn't it exist? Why wouldn't he have a voice that helps him survive the Killing Game, one that's so dangerous to the Mastermind that they would-_

 _That's it._

 _"Allow me to cut through those words!"_

Tsumugi grinned as she pointed towards Keebo, feeling as if a gust of wind was at her back, threatening to topple anyone in her path. The robot jumped, and although he _did_ shy away for a second, it was moreso due to surprise.

"... What?"

Despite everyone's confusion, Tsumugi continued to explain herself, "Keebo, you're saying that this voice helps you, right?"

"Yes."

"And the Mastermind supposedly turned it off."

"Yes."

"Because it's too dangerous."

"That is correct. What are you getting at?"

"If what you're saying is true, and your inner voice really _was_ dangerous to the Mastermind, then why would they let you hear it at _all_?"

Her statement echoed throughout the library, resounding past the tables, the books, and even the students. Tsumugi looked at them one by one - and it seemed they all had the same revelation. No one dared break the silence until Keebo responded.

The robot was at a loss for words. He was frozen in place, his fingers fidgeting quickly in the hopes that they'd spark some static current to spur an idea. But nothing came.

"Um..."

His eyes flickered left and right at the crowd, turning towards them. Almost expecting someone to back him up. Yet even Kokichi, who was agreeing with him, couldn't do more than show a sly smile. Desperation sounded from the robot, as he pointed at Tsumugi, breathing heavily.

"I know what I feel! I'm not lying about my inner voice, I assure you! Why won't you believe me? We _need_ to break down that door!"

Kaede walked up to him, and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. Keebo turned towards the girl, still agitated.

"We know. Keebo, we believe you... but maybe that voice... isn't what you think it is. There's no reason to be rash. We should do more investigating."

As she said that, Kaede turned towards Shuichi, who gave her a stiff nod.

She then addressed the students, "So it's settled, then? We'll investigate more tomorrow?"

Tsumugi let out a breath she was unintentionally holding in as everyone looked at each other, seeming to agree with Kaede's assessment.

Did she... Did she do it? Did she win? If everyone went to sleep, then she'd be able to use the Blackout light on them tomorrow morning. And then she could take Rantaro and simply waltz out of the academy.

The girl let out a light smile. She was so happy that she'd let her old self go, that she didn't give in to Keebo. That argument was refreshing for her, honestly the most fun she's had in a long time... She had no regrets...

Or did she...

It seemed that one student wasn't acting like any of the rest. The little gremlin walked up to Tsumugi, a devilish grin on his face. He stopped a foot away from her, staring upwards, with swirling eyes of despair.

"Orrr... Maybe we have our Mastermind right here..."

Tsumugi's eyes widened. However, she wasn't scared anymore. She'd fight his accusation any way she could...

"Tsumugi's been acting really strange. She completely changed once Keebo said he wanted to break into the hideout, and she turned you all against him for her own reasons."

"Wh-what? Kokichi, I want to protect everyone. That's why I don't want anyone breaking a rule and getting killed. Isn't that a good enough reason?"

"Or, that could be a lie. And believe me, I know lies."

Trying to drown out Kokichi's sinister presence, Tsumugi looked at the others. They sided with her before; they're more likely to do it again...

"I'm not the Mastermind! Do you guys actually believe him?"

The students instantly exchanged nervous glances, everyone clearly distraught by the mention of the Mastermind. The suspicion falling on one of their own... They knew it was a possibility, but didn't want to consider it. Almost as if they wanted to live in a fiction in which there was no Mastermind...

Which Tsumugi would unwittingly give them. But she couldn't out herself now. She had to wait. Only a few more hours...

The first person to speak up was Himiko, her voice shaky and weak, "W-well, no, but..."

"Yeah, you tell'em, Himiko, the degenerate's bluffing! It's all they're good for..."

"But as much as I hate the little dickwad, he _does_ have a point..."

The crowd expressed similar notions, their voices slowly picking up until they became constant. Tsumugi looked around, not knowing which conversation to join. But even if she _did_ want to, Kokichi was standing directly in front of her, a smirk plastered on his face.

It wasn't long before someone's voice rose above the rest. It was that of Keebo.

"Well, we'd know who the Mastermind is, if you all would let me into the hideout. I too am suspicious of Tsumugi, but I will not come to a decision when the answer can be discovered easily."

Kokichi smiled, turning around and walking up to the robot, "That's the spirit! Just walk up to that door, and blast it down!"

However, that prompted an objection from Kaede, "Hey! We already agreed to _not_ do that! Don't let Kokichi trick you."

Tsumugi joined in. They _couldn't_ break down that door. She already won. Why wouldn't they just give up already...

"Yeah! We're all a team, and teams work together!"

Kokichi let out an obnoxious sigh, waltzing away from Keebo.

"Ugh, fine..."

The robot could only shrug, throwing his arms in the air.

"You're right. I guess I have no choice, then..."

Keebo looked calm, but strangely tense. If robots could even _be_ tense... His arms hung at his sides rigidly, as if there was some unseeable evil existing among them. There was something in his voice as well, an unease that told Tsumugi that the situation wasn't fully resolved yet... She watched the robot like a hawk as he stood in place, his eyes darting side to side at the other students. It wasn't until Keebo slowly balled his right hand into a fist that Tsumugi knew what he was up to. Her heart instantly dropped as if she was on a mile-high roller coaster.

Keebo swiftly turned around, transforming into his battle gear, a gun mechanizing over his right arm. Jetpacks reformed from his back, and instantly, the robot became a destructive force. He aimed the gun at the door and began charging the beam.

"Keebo, no!"

Kaede threw a hand out to the robot, and immediately ran towards him, but Shuichi's arm jolted in front of her, halting her in her tracks. Kaede's hair fell over her shoulders as she grabbed the boy's arm.

 _Quick! Think! You_ need _to stop him!_

Tsumugi began breathing rapidly. What could she do... She was perhaps the weakest one here... But maybe...

"Gonta, stop him!"

The hulk was startled from Keebo's sudden transformation, even moreso that Tsumugi called out his name. After taking a second to process her request, Gonta stiffly nodded and shoved his way towards the robot. Standing behind him, Gonta wrapped his arms around Keebo in an attempt to lower the gun. However, Keebo struggled as best he could, giving Gonta a difficult time.

"G-Gonta! What a...re you doing?"

"Tsumugi says everyone on same team. Keebo need to listen to group."

Gonta gripped harder, and Keebo's arm began to lower. Tsumugi and the others watched in anticipation. Himiko, Kaede, Shuichi, Kokichi, and a few others decided to take a few steps back and hide behind the smaller, half-height bookcases. Keebo's gun was almost fully charged, however Gonta's strength was unmatchable. The man almost had the robot in a bear hug, with Keebo's gun pointing downwards near the foot of the door, and inching away by the second. Tsumugi held her breath - it seemed like they'd won.

Yet, if there's one thing she learned in these fifty Killing Games, it's that hope never loses so easily. Knowing there wasn't another chance, Keebo began yelling, tapping into power from an almost unseeable energy force. In one swift motion, he pulled his gun-arm upwards, aiming it at the door. The robot released the gun's charge, sending a blast of yellow-white energy hurtling towards the Mastermind door. Tsumugi's heart fell yet again... It seemed this roller-coaster of a game wasn't over yet...

 _Oh, no..._

 _BOOOOOM_

A deafening sound echoed around them as the blast collided with the door, instantly blowing it wide open. It practically _melted_ the surrounding metal, shredding it like paper, plowing through the door and digging into the ground. The energy ball then exploded, sending steel bits and pieces flying everywhere. Books fell off the shelves, pelting the students, who were instinctively ducking for cover.

Tsumugi stood her ground as the force of the shockwave threatened to knock her over, throwing a hand in front of her face to guard her eyes from excess debris. Thankfully, Gonta's massive body shielded her from the worst of the blast. The others weren't that lucky, toppling to the ground as if they were whisked away by a strong ocean current. Afterwards, she peered through her fingers and saw Gonta fall backwards like a statue, with a thump quieter than expected. Tsumugi barely came out with a scratch, but she could only imagine what happened to him...

Her ears rang in the relative silence that ensued. Smoke billowed from the door due to the explosion, rising up and filling the room with soot. Everyone began coughing, including Tsumugi, as they naturally inhaled it. Even _with_ glasses, she had to turn away and squint. She waved her left arm in front of her face in a vain attempt to clear some of the smoke, but Keebo had a better idea.

The robot was almost untouched from the explosion, considering he was built to destroy things. The soot that covered his body had no effect on him. Using his jetpack and wings, he spun around rapidly, whirring like a fan. His motions ventilated the area, circulating the smoke and cleaning the air enough for the students to breathe normally. Tsumugi's coughing eventually subsided, but her good condition was an outlier.

Covered in books, the students who were exposed to the blast continued hacking. One by one, they slowly shoved the books aside and stood up, grasping the wall for leverage. Miu was the first to rise, throwing a finger at Keebo, still coughing up a storm.

"Keebo- _cough_ -what the fu- _cough_ -ck? My throat bur- _cough_ -ns like hell!"

Kaito joined in, and the others expressed a similar sentiment.

" _Cough cough_ -Keebo, why did- _cough_ -you do that?"

From behind the smaller bookcase, Kaede stood up. Her condition was like Tsumugi's; the half-height bookcase protected her and a few others from the explosion. Keebo turned to face her just as she began yelling.

" _Cough-_ Keebo! That was dangerous! You could have killed us! If you were going to disobey what we decided on, at least give us time to take cover! Just look at what you did to poor Gonta..."

She rushed to the man's side, who was covered in soot. His glasses were fogged and off-center, and he was breathing slowly, heavily. Gonta lethargically rolled to his side and pushed himself up to a sitting position on wobbling arms.

"Gonta... _cough_ is fine... _cough_... Gonta strong..."

Kaede glared at Keebo, who shouted back at the girl, "If I did that, I would've been stopped! It was the only way!"

The robot then glanced at each of them quickly, gauging their reactions. He held his palms out in a standoffish manner.

"You guys just have to trust me on this, ok?"

Tsumugi took a deep breath, still a bit shaken up by the explosion. It looked like they would investigate the Mastermind's hideout, anyways... Even though she just won an argument to _prevent_ them from doing that... No matter what she did, it seemed that everything was going wrong... Even if it was unintentional, there was always someone, just _waiting_ there to ruin her plan...

But she made a choice. The choice that she'd fight till the very end. She wouldn't back down from this next challenge, and she'd continue to face them until she was victorious. Tsumugi stood tall and grinned as she stared directly at Keebo, her sapphire eyes a cold fire. She may have lost this battle, but she'd have the upper hand from now on.

Because she was no longer alone. _He_ was closer than ever before.

With the smoke finally clearing, the robot turned away from Tsumugi and focused his attention on the newly formed hideout entrance, not even bothering to take notice of the students' conditions. He looked over his shoulder and spoke, almost as if directed towards the girl.

"Let's end this Killing Game, right now."

Keebo took his first steps forward, his metal feet clanging in the silence. He put his hand against the bookcase and peered inside the room. And immediately, one thing stood out.

Sitting on the couch in the center of the room was Rantaro Amami, grinning awkwardly back at everyone. He raised a hand and waved.

"Hey..."


	10. Chapter 10

Seeing Rantaro sitting there amidst the clearing smoke and the scraps and shards of metallic rubble, Tsumugi couldn't help but stare as if she hadn't laid eyes on him in months.

His face was drooping, with slight bags having formed under his eyes from the lack of sleep. Which was understandable; the couch he was sitting on wasn't great for sleeping. Having been trapped there for a day, with no food or drink... Tsumugi's heart dropped at the realization. It must have been excruciating. Not that they had much of a choice, though.

The boy's hair was messy from not having showered, but it surprisingly looked better. Rantaro's hair was never neat in the first place...

And not to mention his eyes - tired and glazed, the boy was fighting to keep his eyelids open. But Tsumugi still saw the same enthralling emeralds that she did yesterday evening - soft and calm, yet determined. His classic smirk always lightened the mood, and contagiously caused Tsumugi to smile as well.

Despite that, she still was hesitant to fully decompress; things weren't going as planned. And although her grin wavered, her eyes had the same fire that Rantaro's did. Telling him that even if everything was falling apart, they would fix it.

Rantaro returned the expression, nodding lightly towards the girl, ensuring the others didn't pick up on his motion.

 _It'll be fine..._

"Let's go in."

Keebo's monotone voice broke the silence, and snapped Tsumugi out of her trance. She turned towards the boy, and gave a quick nod, but it didn't seem like everyone else was on board.

Miu Iruma, one of the injured in the explosion, was lying on the ground, held up by the pile of books underneath her. She painstakingly raised a dirt-covered hand and grabbed the closest bookshelf, now empty as a result of the shockwave. In an attempt to lift herself up, she pushed against it, but she could only get to her knees before falling victim to another coughing fit. She threw a finger at Keebo with her free hand.

"Um, excuse me, fuckhead, does it look like we're in any condition to do that?"

Tsumugi looked around. Quite a few of them were hurt from the blast... especially Gonta... The only ones who seemed to be ok were herself, Keebo, Kaede, Himiko, Maki, Shuichi, and Kokichi.

Oh. And Kirumi, who promptly dusted herself off and addressed the crowd with an inviting hand.

"Miu is right. I will escort the others, as well as Gonta, to the kitchen to receive treatment and cook dinner for everyone."

She stepped up to the hulk, kneeling down and lifting his shoulder up. He promptly entered a coughing fit, but with Kirumi's help, Gonta was able to slowly rise to a sitting position.

"Gonta... is fine... Gonta... not need help..."

Korekiyo, who was taking his time to pick himself up, joined in, his voice slower and breathier than before.

" _Cough_ \- I believe we should all... listen to Kirumi and receive her treatment."

Kaede agreed, "Yeah, we have this under control. But Kirumi - do _you_ need help? Can you really handle seven people by yourself?"

The girl nodded tacitly, "I am a maid. It is what I must do-"

"I'll help her!"

A small, girlish voice sounded from behind one of the bookcases. The voice of Himiko Yumeno. She turned towards Tenko, Angie, and the other victims.

"Seeing everyone like this... With my magic, I can definitely heal everyone!"

"I'll help as well. I'm not the 'Ultimate Child Caregiver' for nothing..."

Maki Harukawa joined in, her eyes flitting around the room as she leaned against the short bookcase. This prompted a response from Kaito, sporting a huge grin.

"Attagirl, Maki! I'm no child, but if you could help me up, that'd be fantastic!"

Maki sighed, but acquiesced to Kaito's request. He held out a hand, and she grabbed it, pulling so Kaito could rise from the ground. The boy was up in a matter of seconds, due to a strength that one would think was uncharacteristic of Maki. After Kaito patted her shoulders in thanks, she turned around to help the others, shaking her head and mumbling something under her breath.

"You _are_ a child..."

"Ooh! Himiko, I need help too!"

Tenko waved her hands at the girl, and she walked over, performing a gesture similar to what Maki did. And one by one, the three girls got the rest of the students to their feet.

Tsumugi watched them with a genuine smile. Before this season, she'd only support teamwork since it amplified the despair the students would eventually receive. But seeing them, working together, and having a goal of her own that she was working towards... It almost made her want to tell them everything...

But she knew. She knew it wouldn't go well... She was the only thing stopping them from leaving... Especially with Keebo's sudden shift in personality...

She expected him to have rushed into the hideout, but for some reason, he waited. The robot was still standing in the same location, tapping his foot and staring intently at the others. He turned his head for a second, stretching his neck, and then focused back on Tsumugi, who was apparently staring as well.

Tsumugi swallowed and stepped away, creating a pathway for the injured students to leave the Library.

"That's everyone. Shall we head out?"

Kirumi addressed the room, waving her hand and leading the way towards the exit. Kaede nodded as a majority of the students followed.

"Good luck, everyone! We'll be back as soon as we can!"

The group marched off, led by Gonta. It almost seemed like they were being sent off to prison, especially with Ryoma in the pack, but Tsumugi knew it wasn't like that. Their spirits weren't hurt, only their bodies. A good night's rest was all they needed.

She turned back at the remaining group members - Kokichi, Keebo, Shuichi, Kaede, and herself.

Oh. And Rantaro. How could she forget about him...

"Are we ready yet?"

Keebo wasted no time prompting the others, and he was met with nods from everyone.

"Ok. Let's go."

Keebo walked back towards the door, and made his way into Tsumugi's hideout, the group a few feet behind.

The robot carefully stepped over a large piece of rubble, and around a few smaller pieces. He waved off the last remains of smoke that permeated the room. His feet gave off the sound of tempering steel, methodical chirps of metal on metal. The rest of the group followed, and they stared at what they saw with wide eyes.

The typical darkened metal was contrasted with a full red color scheme, hearts and white flowers scattered across the walls. On one side was a control panel, so full with buttons and displays that you couldn't fit another. Resting a foot away were the steel corpses of Monokuma and the Monokubs, strangely motionless. A tall, blue trash bin sat next to a pillar, it's sterile color standing out.

The room was separated by a rounded container, covered completely in a large maroon cloth. Next to it was a large rack, displaying various props. And then there was Rantaro, sitting on a plush red couch, positioned in front of a dull TV.

Tsumugi wanted nothing more than to run up to Rantaro and finally set him free, but Keebo's pensive expression caused her to remind the group of their decision.

"Remember, don't touch anything."

Everyone nodded in agreement and approached the couch where Rantaro was sitting. He motioned to get up, however, something prevented him from doing so. Handcuffs were attached to his wrist, linking him to the wooden arm of the couch. Tsumugi recognized them - they were the same handcuffs Rantaro found in the hideout earlier. He chained himself to the couch to make their story more believable...

Tsumugi controlled her elation as she took a step back, letting the others crowd around the couch. The boy spoke up, his smooth, calm voice reaching even Keebo.

"I see you guys are here to rescue me. Looks like I'm in your debt."

Kaede interjected, "Of course! You're our classmate and our friend just as much as anyone else is. But in order to free you, we'll need-"

"A key, you say?"

Kokichi's wide grin threatened to surpass his face as he reached into his pocket and revealed his skeleton key. Stepping towards Rantaro and kneeling down, Kokichi was able to unhandcuff him in one swift motion. He then stood back up, tossing his arms behind his head as if he was leaning against a wall.

"And you guys thought I was completely useless. Nee-hee-hee!"

Rantaro stood up as well, massaging his now unconstrained wrist. He responded casually, "Thanks, Kokichi. I definitely owe you one."

Keebo's unnatural voice shattered the mood.

"Speaking of debts... There's something you can help us with."

Everyone's eyes slowly shifted towards the robot as he walked up, face to face with Rantaro.

"The Mastermind... You must have seen them. They captured you... So who are they?"

A few seconds of silence ensued. It felt like the group was holding their breath, waiting for Rantaro's answer. The answer that they've been searching for their entire time here. Not to mention the answer that would set them free from this gruesome game.

It was the answer they couldn't learn.

Rantaro couldn't say it was her - he wouldn't, it was against their plan. They would surely kill her if they found out. But with everyone staring directly at Rantaro, Tsumugi didn't know what he was going to say. Giving an unsatisfactory answer would cause Keebo to question him further, making the robot suspect Rantaro of being an accomplice in all of this...

Tsumugi watched with wavering eyes as Rantaro responded.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have a clue."

Everyone collectively exhaled in a short burst, taken aback by Rantaro's statement. Shuichi continued the questioning.

"How? Didn't they kidnap you?"

"Their face was hidden the entire time. They used that cloak over there."

Rantaro threw a finger towards the prop wall, pointing at the dark cloak that Tsumugi used as a faux cape just last night. To think their anime date last night would help them like this...

 _Nice save_

Tsumugi nodded as Keebo marched on over to inspect the cloak. After analyzing it for a few seconds, he shook his head silently and began searching the rest of the hideout. Rantaro watched him, distraught by his forwardness.

Kaede picked up on this, waving her hand, "Don't mind him, he's a bit... offset. I'll keep an eye on him."

The girl jogged over to Keebo and gave him a warm smile. The robot looked over his shoulder and chuckled nervously, but continued his search.

After a few seconds, Kokichi began wandering around as well, and it seemed the group was dissolving. Tsumugi's eyes flitted towards the boy, always cautious of his mischief. She didn't know what he'd possibly do in her hideout... He was someone who needed to be controlled. And she didn't want to do it.

Rantaro locked eyes with her for a second, fully picking up on her insecurity. He gave her a quick nod and proceeded to follow Kokichi. Tsumugi nodded back, thankful that he was willing to help. Honestly, she'd be nowhere without him...

The only one left in the group was Shuichi, who Tsumugi knew wouldn't break any rules. He took off in a direction separate from Kokichi and Keebo, and Tsumugi was right behind him. She glanced around the room as the boy investigated.

"Ooh! So many buttons!"

Kokichi's eyes sparkled almost as much as the control panel's LEDs did, his eyes flitting from one lit button to the next. On the wall were many computer displays, each showcasing a different room in the building. The boy pointed his index fingers towards a few of them. Knowing full well that this could get out of hand, Rantaro stepped in.

"Kokichi, remember."

" _Don't touch anything._ Fine, fine..."

The boy huffed as he took a few steps back, leaning down to examine Monokuma and his children. Kokichi examined them with a curious look.

"Are they really turned off?"

He balled his hand into a fist and knocked twice on Monokuma. The metal sound rang through the hideout, and Rantaro had to interject.

"What did I just say?"

"But they're _turned off_! We can do whatever we want with them!"

"They can turn on any minute now. We better be careful."

Kokichi nodded again, dejected. He slumped over to the wall, each step worsening his posture.

A well of confidence surged in Tsumugi. With Rantaro guarding the buttons, and not much else in the hideout, they should be out of here in no time... She turned her attention elsewhere.

Keebo and Kaede were examining the large vessel in the center of the room, trying to anticipate what was inside, as it was covered by a large, red cloth. Keebo stepped closer, grabbed the bottom with two fingers, and slowly lifted it up, peering underneath. It was dark, so the robot's eyes lit up, illuminating the cloth a bright yellow. After getting a glimpse of what was there, he yanked the cloth away swiftly, revealing a disabled Monokuma head - the Motherkuma.

Kaede questioned, "What is this thing..."

Keebo nodded as if he understood, "Probably some kind of core Monokuma... I'm not sure what it was used for, but I do know one thing. That it is disabled, just like the rest of them."

Shuichi happened to be looking in the same direction as Tsumugi (probably because Kaede spoke up), and continued Keebo's thought.

"Did they just... give up?"

Keebo countered, "But if they did... Then why are we still here?"

Silence ensued as they all pondered the robot's question. Tsumugi brought a hand to her chin, faking a thinking pose.

"Maybe they just, didn't have time to release everyone?"

 _Only one more day... As long as these mysteries remain unsolved for the rest of tonight... Then I can use the Blackout Light on them... We just have to put false thoughts in their minds until then..._

"OW! My fooooot!"

A metallic crash sounded, and everyone's faces jolted towards Kokichi, who was hopping on one foot and grasping the other one. Judging from his location, the boy must've tried to punt Monokuma as if he was a football. He definitely got what he deserved...

Kokichi approached Rantaro again, crying as if he was a child. It was clear to the group that it was fake. Rantaro could only chuckle, however his stomach grumbled before he could get a thought out. He smiled as he waved.

"Sorry, everyone. I haven't eaten since yesterday. Can we take a trip to the dining hall with the others? They'll need all the help they can get, especially because of the explosion. As well as our most _recent_ injury..."

Kaede agreed, "That sounds good! We've had enough excitement for one day, don't you think?"

Her words were met with nods from the group. She began to leave the room with Rantaro, who was nursing a hobbling Kokichi.

"Are you three coming with us?"

Shuichi, Tsumugi, and Keebo looked at each other awkwardly, each of them not wanting to be the first to respond. Yet, Shuichi reluctantly spoke up.

"I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm not done investigating this place yet..."

Keebo gave two short nods, "The same goes for me."

"I'll... I'll just keep these two company..."

"Ok. Hurry back quickly!"

With a smile that beamed confidence, Kaede waved at the three of them and exited the hideout. Tsumugi watched them as they made their way through the library, Rantaro stepping farther and farther away. Her eyes lingered on him a bit too long.

"What's this..."

Tsumugi jolted around to find Shuichi next to the trash bin, holding two objects. The two objects that she tossed in there after she "kidnapped" Rantaro.

A completely clean shotput ball, and the Survivor Monopad.

A slight panic overtook Tsumugi. Shuichi wasn't supposed to find those...

She looked over his shoulder, feigning curiosity. It wasn't great, but as long as she stopped those gears in his mind, she would be fine.

"This shotput ball looks identical to the one that was laying on the floor of the library... What could it mean..."

Tsumugi waved it off the best she could, "It's probably not much..."

Shuichi then turned his attention to the monopad, "And this monopad looks like ours as well..."

The device activated at his touch. Displayed on the front were two words:

 _Survivor Perk_

Rantaro got a special monopad from sacrificing himself in the fifty-second killing game. It allowed him to see the entire school, as well as send a message to himself before his mind was wiped... Even though it wasn't...

Rantaro remembered everything. And all he needed to find the location of Tsumugi's hideout was this monopad.

"Survivor Perk?" Shuichi questioned, "Survivor of what..."

Shuichi scrolled down, and the full map of the academy was revealed, including the Mastermind's hideout.

"The layout of the entire school is here... Even this very room..."

Keebo looked on from a distance, but didn't approach. He stood near the prop wall, examining as many trinkets as he could.

Tsumugi bit her lip as the boy continued to scroll down. These secrets could very well unravel the entire mystery...

The next screen that appeared was one that displayed " _Clue to end the killing game"_. Shuichi and Tsumugi gave each other a look of anticipation as Shuichi scrolled again.

The words that dotted the page were bright pink, wavering as if they were alive. Shuichi read the words out loud as calmly as he could.

 _The mastermind who is behind the killing game is hiding somewhere within the academy. Your best chance of exposing them is when Monokuma needs a spare. At that time, the mastermind will go to the library's hidden room._

 _To prove this hint is accurate, I will predict something. The first thing you will remember is the Ultimate Hunt._

 _Only share this information with people who you know you can trust. How you determine that will mean your life or your death._

 _Rantaro Amami_

Tsumugi spoke up first, after Shuichi was finished reading. Hopefully this wouldn't be enough...

She put a finger to her chin and looked upwards, simulating thinking, "So Rantaro left a message to someone... through this monopad?"

Shuichi nodded and continued her thought, "The question is, who..."

"Well, we can rule out the Mastermind, whoever they are, because they wouldn't need this information, right?"

"Yeah... Wait..."

Shuichi squinted his eyes at the device, "There's something strange about the message..."

Tsumugi feigned curiosity, "What is it?"

"You see, whoever owned this monopad would have to have known about the hidden doorway. Excluding the Mastermind, that narrows down the possibilities from 16 to 3. Kaede, Rantaro, and myself. Everyone else couldn't have known because if they did, they would've done something about it because of the time limit."

Tsumugi knew where Shuichi was going with this. She didn't like it, but there was nothing she could do to stop it... The boy was _definitely_ turning into a capable detective... Tsumugi didn't know whether to feel proud or scared...

He continued, "I found the secret passage from investigating, and the only one I told about it was Kaede. It's true that either one of us could've owned the monopad, but then there's a glaring contradiction..."

Tsumugi slowly answered, "How did Rantaro know about the hidden door?"

"Exactly. He must have known about the secret passage from seeing the full school map here, but that begs a different question - Why would Rantaro leave a message to _himself_?"

Tsumugi nodded in understanding, "That's a good question..."

"There's still no indication of why it was called a _Survivor Perk_ , either."

This was enough for now... Tsumugi wanted to quell those gears in his head before it was too late.

"Do you think the others would know? Why don't we go eat dinner with everyone else?"

Shuichi gave her a nervous chuckle, "Yeah, that's a good idea..."

He gave the shotput ball another look, and tossed it back into the trash bin with a thud. Pocketing the monopad, the detective turned back towards Tsumugi.

"I feel like I'm so close... The fact that Rantaro sent a message to himself about the Killing Game... Along with what Monokuma told us earlier - that we all volunteered to be in this Killing Game... By the way, do you remember volunteering?"

Tsumugi was caught off guard by the boy's question, so she took a second to process it. She shook her head quickly, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Yeah, me neither... I guess that's a good question to ask the others, too..."

Tsumugi released the breath she was instinctively holding, "Yup... Ready to go?"

Shuichi nodded, "Mhm... Keebo, are you coming?"

The two of them turned towards the prop wall, where Keebo was standing. However, the position he was in was not the same as earlier... Tsumugi's eyes widened. She was so engulfed in her conversation with Shuichi that she didn't notice...

This was bad... Very, very, bad... Her face turned as pale as a ghost, and she tried vainly to think rationally about her options.

 _What could I do... Is there anything I_ can _do?_

Keebo was silently charging up his engine, in a ready stance as if the robot was going to blast off. There wouldn't be much power behind it, judging by the quiet hum of his rockets.

But that was all he needed.

As much as she was a stronger, more confident Tsumugi than before, there was nothing she could do to overpower a robot. There was nothing _any_ human could do.

 _Oh no..._

Shuichi addressed the robot, wide-eyed as well.

"Keebo?"

Keebo quickly shot a glance towards the two of them, and before they could respond, he activated his rockets, thrusting his body across the room in the direction he was facing.

Towards the control panel.

He skidded to a stop in front of the center panel, sparks flying from his feet and the sound of nails on a chalkboard peppered Tsumugi's skin with goosebumps. And the robot turned towards the one knob that Tsumugi desperately wanted him not to find - the Audience Participation Meter.

Tsumugi was so startled that she remained frozen, unable to speak. She eyed Shuichi as the boy spoke up for the both of them.

"Uh, Keebo? It's best not to touch anything... Since we don't know what any of the buttons do... We agreed on this, remember?"

Keebo ignored the detective's testimony, and began muttering to himself.

"I was right... This is it... The voice in my head... The voice that's always right..."

Shuichi started walking towards him, confused, "The voice in your-"

Suddenly, Keebo took the knob and jammed it all the way up. His body convulsed as shock waves jolted throughout his circuits. The antenna on top of his head wiggled uncontrollably, glowing with a light that made the entire room white. Tsumugi and Shuichi shielded their eyes and watched Keebo's eyes transform from a dull yellow to a staticy deep grey.

Within a few seconds, it was over. The robot breathed heavily after having underwent his transformation, and had to hold onto the control panel to prevent himself from falling over. Tsumugi debated running up to Keebo and holding him down, but eventually he'd get his strength back and toss her to the side as if she was a plastic bag.

Keebo stood up soon after, and his arm reached out and clutched the Audience Participation Meter. With an increasing force, he pressed down on the knob, and with a swift rip, he yanked the knob off the control panel.

Tsumugi gulped. There was no going back...

She _knew_ she couldn't just give up, she _knew_ that there would be a way... But she couldn't help feeling as if they'd already lost...

 _It'll take a miracle to overcome this..._

The robot turned around, dropping the detached knob to the floor with a clang. He stood taller than ever before. A menacing smirk was plastered onto his face, and his eyes now glowed a bright blue. In those eyes was an expression that Tsumugi hadn't seen since the fifty-second installment of Danganronpa.

Despair.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I am _so sorry_ for the wait, everyone! I know it's been a while since I last posted, but as I've said before and will say again now - _I will finish this fanfiction!_ I'm estimating three chapters to go, and it's just getting to the good part, right?

I appreciate you taking the time to read my work! It means a lot to me that I can entertain you guys. I hope you'll tune in for the next few chapters, and you can find out what happens to Rantaro and Tsumugi's future.


	11. Chapter 11

"I know everything..."

Keebo radiated anger as he turned to face Tsumugi, standing as if he was the final boss from a video game. One that had almost an impenetrable amount of armor, one that could fly and dash at incredible speeds. And also one that could shoot down whatever he wanted.

Anyone who opposed him didn't stand a chance. What was Tsumugi, but a simple cosplayer. What could _she_ do to stop him, now that he was like this? Even Gonta, who was the strongest one here, couldn't stop Keebo from firing his blast earlier.

So... This was it... Wasn't it?...

Keebo said it himself... He knew everything... He would kill her for halting the Killing Game... Knowing the audience, they would find that unacceptable...

Tsumugi let out a sigh. If only she hadn't left that Audience Participation Meter out in the open like that...

But that was neither here nor there. The fact of the matter was that she fought a fair fight, and she lost. There was no choice but to accept it.

Tsumugi clenched her fist and stepped forwards, displaying the same determination that Keebo did. Shuichi shield away a bit, simply surprised by everything that was happening.

"Keebo?"

Small flares could be seen from the robot's rockets, smoke trails hissing upwards. He lowered his body in preparation for his dash, aiming himself at Tsumugi. His voice was monotonous, displaying none of the emotion that made Keebo a person.

"It's time to end this charade."

Tsumugi nodded her head, letting out another breath. She wished she could have one last chance to talk with Rantaro, one last chance to tell him how she felt before she was gone.

However, Rantaro wasn't there. She turned towards Shuichi instead. Given the time she had left, there was really only one thing to say.

"Shuichi, I'm-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Keebo rotated to the left, his jetpack roaring to life. The deafening sound filled the room, propelling the robot forward and interestingly, through the exit and into the Library. Tsumugi tilted her head in confusion, completing her thought as best she could.

"sorry?"

She wondered why would he do such a thing... She thought that he was going to subdue her... But apparently he had different plans. What could he possibly be after...

Shuichi gave her a nervous grin, almost as perplexed as she was.

"Uh, Tsumugi... Sorry for what?"

However, the girl drowned out his response, still deep in thought.

Keebo was controlled by the audience. The audience only wanted Hope, and nothing else. Hope through Despair - eerily similar to a certain character's beliefs in Super Danganronpa 2. They've received fifty Hope-filled seasons before this - and viewership clearly showed the audience liked what they were seeing. So naturally, she thought they'd want more, and that they'd be after the person who caused their Killing Game to grind to a halt.

But if they weren't after her... Who could they be targeting... The one responsible for what happened here was her, and only her... Right?..

The realization hit Tsumugi in the face like a tidal wave - her eyes widening in response.

She thought she was going to die. But what was going to happen, was _so_ much worse.

"Tsumugi?"

Tsumugi nodded awake and immediately began running towards the exit, as fast as she could.

"I-I'll explain later-"

Shuichi, startled, began following her as she entered the Library. He didn't know what she was thinking, but it apparently was something important.

 _I hope I can warn him in time..._

* * *

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes, thanks, Kirumi."

Rantaro Amami was sitting at the end of the lengthy table in the dining hall, cradling the steaming hot coffee cup that Kirumi gently placed in his hands. The boy took a sip, and subsequently set the cup down to take another bite of the bread that was laid out on the plate in front of him. A bowl of tomato soup rested next to the plate; Rantaro didn't know if it was because he hadn't eaten in a day, but it was definitely the best tomato soup he's ever had.

Kirumi's ultimate, the Ultimate Maid, was another possibility; within minutes, she had food and water ready for the boy, as well as bandages and antiseptic for the students who were caught in the blast. Gonta was dusted off and laid against the wall on a mat, Miu and Korekiyo were sitting down, drinking tea to alleviate their coughs, even Kaito was gulping down his soup, trying to hide the fact that he coughed up a bit of blood earlier.

The others weren't just standing around, either. Himiko, Angie, and Ryoma were assisting Kirumi and serving the others. Even Maki, who seemed cold despite being the Ultimate Child Caregiver, was helping. In response to Kaito's wave, she fetched another piece of bread and placed it on his plate.

"Thanks, Maki Roll!"

The girl blushed a bit, rolling her eyes and reporting back to Kirumi.

Kaede and Kokichi came in late, and although Kaede began helping as soon as she could, Kokichi waltzed over to a seat and sat down, watching everything. It would seem like they all had it under control, anyways.

Their voices filled the room with a calm chatter. It was moments like these that made Rantaro forget they were in a Killing Game. They made him even forget that everyone was really a fictional character, including himself.

Because was real friendship, real camaraderie. There was nothing fake about it.

However, one thing did stand out to Rantaro. Something that he couldn't quite get out of his mind.

 _Where was Tsumugi?_

By now, the three of them should have finished exploring... So why didn't she come back to the dining hall...

He wanted to go and check, but his condition wasn't the best. The boy was certain Kirumi would sit him back down if he got up.

Rantaro decided to clear his mind to think, drowning out the chatter. What could possibly be happening down there...

A soft sound rose up out of the relative silence, and the boy focused on it. It almost sounded like... an industrial blowtorch... Some sort of intense fire... And it was coming from the hallway...

It was not only that, there was more. Short, staccato footsteps, growing louder by the second... And a voice... Yelling something...

 _Wait a second..._

The voice was quiet. But it was just loud enough. Just loud enough for him to hear.

" _Rantaro, look out!"_

 _Tsumugi!_

The boy's eyes widened, jolting his head towards the door. A figure appeared in the doorway, sliding to a stop from the momentum of his jetpack. Keebo's eyes glowed a bright blue, as if he was possessed by an evil AI. The robot raised his arm quickly, directing his gun at Rantaro, taking a ready stance.

At that moment, Rantaro knew what he had to do. Pushing off the table with his hands, he propelled himself away, his chair falling backwards on its rear legs. The adrenaline fueled his body, almost slowing time around him. Everyone else's eyes turned to face Keebo, not having time to react to the robot.

Keebo sent a blast of energy in Rantaro's direction. It flew across the room, and just barely missing its target. Rantaro watched as it zoomed past his head and into the wall behind him, causing another explosion, albeit smaller than before. The crash only sounded for a second, smoke rising slowly from the gaping hole in the dining hall.

It seemed the group finally processed what happened, as they looked back at Keebo. But Rantaro's survival instincts told him one thing - and he immediately acted on it.

 _Through the hole. Now._

Rantaro shoved himself off the floor, dashing as fast as he could towards the opening that Keebo left in the wall. He almost stumbled from moving so fast, but he managed to right himself. This was his only chance, but then again, Keebo was quick, too...

Kokichi was sitting there on the opposite side of the table, his arms still thrown behind his head.

"Wow, nice shot, you almost got him!"

Miu responded without a scowl, throwing a finger at Keebo.

"Um, Keebo, what the fuck?"

Keebo turned and stared deep into her eyes, with a newfound animosity.

"He needs to die..."

The robot began running through the room, towards the hole in the wall, seeing as Rantaro almost escaped. However, Gonta and Kaito stepped up to hold the robot back. Their motions were clearly impeded by their condition, hobbling a bit, but still approaching Keebo nonetheless.

Kaito yelled, "Rantaro's our friend, Keebo! No way we'll let you kill him!"

Keebo attempted to write free from the boys' grasps, as if he was some sort of snake.

"J-just, let me go! He's getting away!"

Gonta and Kaito restrained the robot as best they could, however they were still weak, and Keebo's battery-powered body was clearly no match for them. Their grips got weaker and weaker as they were tossed around, and eventually Keebo broke free, shoving the boys to the side. He dashed towards the courtyard, where Rantaro had already escaped through.

 _Come on... To the Dormitory... Just a little bit more..._

Rantaro's feet slammed against the wooden deck outside the dining hall and pushed off, jumping down onto the cool evening grass. The sky - well, the artificial sky - displayed a dazzling array of colors as the sun was setting; reds, oranges, yellows, even purples filled Rantaro's view on the cloudless evening.

Rantaro couldn't help but flick his eyes back in the direction he came. Keebo seemed dead-set on killing him...

 _Keebo must've found out about everything, huh... Well, this just got a lot harder... Pehaps the sun was setting on my future with Tsumugi as well..._

 _I won't accept that. Not as long as I'm the Ultimate Survivor._

Rantaro was running as fast as he could towards the dormitory, however his body felt sluggish and tired. He willed his body to do more, despite his weakness and lack of nutrients. His heart pounded as if someone was chasing him in a dark alley. This wasn't new to Rantaro, having been in the previous Killing Game, but it was still something. You never quite get used to these experiences...

He stepped off the grass and onto solid red brick, dashing down the path to the dorms. As he approached, a whoosh sounded from the school. Rantaro resisted the urge to look over his shoulder, continuing to run. However, the sound grew louder as it got closer, and eventually he could hear a voice from behind him. Rantaro froze in his tracks, peeking over his shoulder.

"Don't. Move."

Keebo stood a few feet away from him, ascending into the air with his jetpack as if he was a divine spirit. His eyes were burning, and were fixated on the boy. Rantaro gave a sigh, raising his hands in the air as he acquiesced to the robot's request. His heart sank.

 _Guess this is it, huh?_

But as much as he believed that, he had to trust his ultimate, for whatever it was worth. He's gotten out of similar situations before. He's survived an entire killing game - including five life-or-death trials. If that didn't count for _something_ , then nothing did. He clung on to that Hope, however illogical it was at this point.

He turned back towards the dining hall, as a stampede was coming from that direction. Every student who was in that room subsequently flooded out of the hole in the wall, running towards the two of them. One by one, each student parked themselves behind Keebo, not daring to get too close to Rantaro. Keebo could shoot at any second, and even amidst the gathering, he remained focused on his target.

Kaede looked upwards and began to question the robot.

"Keebo, what's the meaning of this?"

Keebo responded monotonously, not even bothering to turn and look at her.

"This Killing Game has been paused for far too long. We want our mastermind back."

"We?"

"Yes, we. The audience. And this show must go on."

Keebo nodded slightly as he responded, taking a stance and pointing his gun closer at Rantaro. Kaito naturally objected, throwing a fist in the air and yelling.

"Hey, didn't we decide that Rantaro isn't the Mastermind?"

The robot responded, his tone harsh and angered, clenching his fist and turning towards the disputer.

"Do you think we don't know what we're doing? We know _exactly_ who the Mastermind is. We've been watching her this entire time. And for this Killing Game to continue, we need to destroy what's holding her back."

"Her?"

Kaito seemed genuinely confused, making Keebo angrier, but thankfully the moment was interrupted by a voice coming from the dining area. A female voice.

 _"Everyone, stop!"_

Keebo, upon seeing who it was, could only smirk and let out a slight chuckle.

"Yes. Her."

Two figures approached the group - the two remaining students who weren't present. Rantaro smiled. Their dark blue attire wasn't particularly easy to see since the sun was setting, but he knew exactly who they were.

 _Seems like they made it in time._

Tsumugi Shirogane and Shuichi Saihara ran up to the group. Everyone else watched as they approached. Shuichi lagged behind the girl, who quickly made it to the dorms. Interestingly, Tsumugi stepped up between Keebo and Rantaro. She stood there with tumultuous hair, her eyes blue flames, pointing directly at Keebo. Her arms were outstretched, protecting Rantaro from any potential attacks from the robot.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to go through me."

* * *

Tsumugi was very thankful she made it in time - her legs burned almost as much as her eyes. Her hair drooped in small locks, in front of her eyes, and sweat began to bead on her face. She didn't know if Kaito's training helped her, but two days of intense workouts in a row definitely took something out of her...

Despite the fact that she was still out of breath, she stood strong. Rantaro was behind her - and there was no way she would let Keebo do anything to him. It didn't matter how tired she was - she wanted to protect him. Because she loved him.

Shuichi, who was with Tsumugi, didn't follow the girl. He approached the larger group sheepishly, standing next to Kaede. She, as well as everyone else, was staring intently at Tsumugi - awaiting her next move. However, the girl didn't budge. It looked like an impossible war - fourteen against two - and yet, the tenacity on Tsumugi's face showed she didn't feel outnumbered at all.

Keebo squinted his eyes at her and looked down with the face of a displeased emperor. He broke the silence; his harsh, robotic speech sent chills down Tsumugi's spine.

"It's against the rules for the Mastermind to protect another student. You know that, right?"

Tsumugi nodded, but didn't hesitate.

"Yes. But I'm doing it anyways."

The robot's tone increased, throwing his left arm to the side.

"Get out of the way, Tsumugi."

"No."

"This is what we want. This is what everyone wants. So, just step out of the way, so we can kill him, and continue watching our Killing Game."

Tsumugi clenched her fist, and locked eyes with Keebo as she delivered to him the truth.

"This Killing Game is over."

Keebo's voice thundered into a yell, pointing at himself, and then at the other students.

"You can't just _abandon_ your own Killing Game! We expected six full chapters! _They_ expected six full chapters! That's what they signed up for!"

The three of them turned towards the others, who were still motionless. Plastered onto all of their faces were various expressions; heads tilted, eyes widened, nervous grins - but not one of them spoke up in the silence. They remained clueless, hoping the three of them would settle this themselves. Keebo turned back towards Tsumugi and asked a simple question.

"They still don't know the truth, do they?"

Tsumugi gulped, and connected eyes with the other students in order, and it seemed they all approached the situation differently. People like Gonta and Tenko were genuinely confused. Some others, like Ryoma and Kokichi, remained still their usual selves. But most of the crowd expressed the same sentiment - a desire to know the truth. Tsumugi could practically _feel_ their stares - eyes that could cut through words, each sword pointing at her chin, ready to attack. As much as Tsumugi didn't want to tell them the truth, she needed to. They deserved it. If she was to die here, she would die without any regrets. They needed to know _everything_.

Shuichi was an outlier in the group - hiding underneath his wide-brimmed hat. Tsumugi could almost see underneath - it looked like his eyes were closed, a pained grimace on his face, as if he was in his own world, separate from the others. She wondered why the boy was taking this so differently - maybe he felt partly responsible for the events that unfolded? Either way, he'd learn the truth along with the rest of them, so all Tsumugi had to do was focus on wording her story appropriately.

Keebo followed up on his inquiry, prompting Tsumugi to continue. To reveal the fiction that is Danganronpa 53, and the countless people who were killed solely for entertainment.

"Go ahead. Tell them who you really are, who they really are, and what you did to them."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

This is it, huh? The big reveal is next chapter! Thanks for reading up until this point!

I apologize for not posting chapters more frequently than I am. I have been really busy, and I've been working on other projects as well (see team _ _ mike on twitter for more info on those). But I will have you know that all of the next chapter's dialog is written, so hopefully it shouldn't be long before I post the next chapter :)

If you're looking for some Christmas spirit in the meantime, I'd suggest my fic "A V3ry Merry Christmas"! But other than that, I do hope that you continue to follow my work and tune in for the last few chapters!


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